Sticks of butter make measuring easy and convenient. The equivalents below are good to know when purchasing butter or when you are using butter in your cooking or baking recipes.
Fat in baking is used to destroy the elasticity of the gluten, so that it will not be tough when cooked.
Butter, lard, oils or drippings may be used in recipes.
Lard makes more tender pastry than butter.
Butter gives the best flavour.
Half butter and half lard makes a good mixture.
Half butter and half oil makes also good mixture.
Layers of fat may be put in between layers of pastry, to separate it into flakes.
If two fats are used in preparing pastry, the softer is cut into the flour, and the harder one laid on the paste and folded in.
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Helpful Tips:
Improve your pasta dishes simply by adding a pat of butter to the pasta just after pasta is drained. Not only will this give your sauce extra body and flavor, but it will also help the sauce adhere to the pasta.
When a recipe callls for softened butter, the butter should be soft enough to blend smoothly with other ingredients.
Unopened butter keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Opened butter should be stored, covered in the refrigerator's butter compartment.
