what is shortening???

[taytotayto]

i was looking on line for a recipe for buttercream filling and came across one that uses shortening.....but ive no idea what it is or what to use instead as it seems to be an american thing.

Butter or margarine I think

Shortening is vegetable fat - trex, flora white, that kind of thing. Makes lovely white frosting, but it isn't buttercream as it doesn't have butter in it. It also needs a fair bit of flavouring as its very bland.

White flora is shortening.

Stork, afaik. It's the American term for vegetable fat.

Any kind of fat used in baking.

Stork isn't shortening, its baking margarine. White fat (like vegatable lard) is shortening. Spreads like stork have a lot of water in, so can't be used for things like frosting and buttercreams as its too soft

Lard. Niiiiiiice