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From: levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy)
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Re: How to measure shortening
Message-ID: <534@ttrdc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 28-Oct-85 19:32:27 EST
Article-I.D.: ttrdc.534
Posted: Mon Oct 28 19:32:27 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Oct-85 04:33:45 EST
References: <1017@decwrl.UUCP> <295@ukecc.UUCP> <414@gymble.UUCP>
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Organization: AT&T, Computer Systems Division, Skokie, IL
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In article <414@gymble.UUCP>, beth@gymble.UUCP (Beth Katz) writes:
>Karen Kolling writes:
>>> Basic Physics I learned at my Aunt Ethel's knee:  you want a half cup
>>> of shortening?  You fill a one-cup measuring cup half full of water and then
>>> keep plopping in shortening and holding it under with just the tip of a spoon
>>> until the water level reaches one cup.  Drain.  Presto, one half cup of
>>> shortening.
>Edward C. Bennett responds:
>>	But if know how to fill the 1-cup measure half full of water,
>>why not just fill it half full of shortening in the first place. ;-)
>I realize that Edward was half-joking, but the reason for using a half
>cup of water is to compensate for the air pockets that tend to be a
>problem if you don't use the water.  With the water, you just plop in
>the shortening and don't have to squash it into the edges of the cup.
>				Beth Katz
Ok, problem with the water method is:  first, there still can be trapped
air INSIDE the hunk of shortening you are pushing under; second, you end
up with a wet hunk of shortening which is not as easy to cut into dry
flour as dry shortening would be (and if you are making something like a
large batch of biscuit mix which is to sit, it would defuse the baking
powder).
I think it is as good as anything else to pack it into a metal scoop-type
measure of the exact capacity desired (or of course a submultiple thereof) with
something small and flat like a table knife.  Trying to pack it into a measure 
only partway is difficult, as the shortening is not self-leveling in the measure
introducing inaccuracy even if there are no air pockets.

-- 
 -------------------------------    Disclaimer:  The views contained herein are
|       dan levy | yvel nad      |  my own and are not at all those of my em-
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| at&t computer systems division |  upon which I may hack.
|        skokie, illinois        |
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