Recipes with vegetable shortening

Ham fritters with creamy sauce: golden, crispy-edged spoonfuls of ham-studded batter deep-fried until puffy, served with a rich, velvety sauce. A Southern diner classic that turns leftover holiday ham into crowd-pleasing finger food.

Vintage sugar cookies leaning heavy on brown sugar over white with shortening for tender texture and a three-finger ridge press. Makes 48 chewy, caramel-toned cookies.

Best homemade harvest apple pie: a tender egg-and-vinegar crust filled with cinnamon-spiced Granny Smith apples and a brown sugar crumb, splashed with cider and finished with pastry apple cutouts.

Ginger cheese muffins with molasses and grated cheese folded into a spiced batter for a savory-sweet quick bread that bakes in just 15 minutes.

Pecan fudge pie with eight ounces of melted semisweet chocolate, three cups of pecans, and dark corn syrup in a from-scratch shortening crust. A rich, fudgy twist on classic pecan pie.

Homemade chocolate covered peanut butter eggs with a sweet brown sugar filling dipped in melted chocolate. A no-bake Easter candy made from scratch.

Miniature French breakfast puffs are warm nutmeg-scented muffins dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. The donut-muffin hybrid that disappears off brunch trays first.

Yeast dough pinwheels filled with fruit preserves, shaped into a windmill pattern, and baked until golden. A European-style pastry with a soft, brioche-like dough and a jewel of jam in the center.

Bewitching cookies with orange zest, orange juice, buttermilk, and chocolate chips in a soft brown sugar drop cookie. A citrus-chocolate combination that's hard to resist.

Bakery-style cinnamon rolls from scratch with a soft yeast dough, cinnamon-sugar-nut filling, and maple icing. A big-batch recipe that makes 6 to 7 dozen rolls.

Sturdy gingerbread house dough made with shortening, dark corn syrup, and warming spices. Holds its shape for construction. The classic holiday project base.

Mom's red velvet cake with old-fashioned ermine frosting (the original red velvet topping). Buttermilk, cocoa, and vinegar give the cake its signature tang and tender crumb.

Chocolate cupcakes filled with creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting piped right into the center. Rich cocoa buttermilk cake with a surprise peanut butter filling in every bite.

Cream cheese swirled brownies with a fudgy unsweetened chocolate base and tangy cream cheese filling marbled together. Rich, dense, and bakery-worthy.

Mississippi mud cake with cocoa, marshmallow cream, and a rich chocolate-butter frosting loaded with pecans. A dense, fudgy Southern sheet cake classic.

Oatmeal cookies packed with chopped dates, sweetened coconut, and nuts in an orange juice-brown sugar dough. Three cups of oats for serious chew, plus cinnamon warmth in every bite.

Ultimate chocolate chip cookies with shortening, light brown sugar, pecans, and semi-sweet chips baked until just set and still moist. A chewy, thick cookie that stays soft for days.

Peanut Butter Chip Custard Pie with Chocolate Peanuts recipe

Banana layer cake stacks two tender 8-inch rounds and slathers them in a real banana frosting brightened with lemon juice. Twice the banana, twice the reason to skip the boxed mix.

Tortilla chip wreath: a salty-sweet holiday candy wreath of vanilla-coated tortilla chips arranged in a circle and decorated with gumdrops. A no-bake Christmas dessert kids can help with.

Classic oatmeal cookies with brown sugar, shortening, and three cups of rolled oats. Crispy edges, chewy centers, and endlessly customizable with mix-ins.

Chocolate chip tea sandwiches: a chewy brown-sugar blondie bar studded with chocolate chips, baked in a sheet pan and cut into dainty squares for tea, showers, or bake sales.

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made with shortening, brown sugar, and quick oats. Crispy edges, chewy centers, and a simple one-bowl recipe that works every time.

Sourdough bread made from starter batter mixed with flour, shortening, and baking soda. A quick-rise loaf brushed with milk for a golden crust, ready in under an hour.

Honey nugget cookies are chewy, oat-packed drop cookies sweetened with honey and brown sugar, spiced with cinnamon. A vintage church-cookbook recipe that bakes up tender on the inside, lightly crisp at the edges.

Old-fashioned spiced cake buns with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and raisins. Drop-style buttermilk buns with a sugar-crackled top, baked from a single mixing bowl in 35 minutes.

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with brown sugar and rolled oats for a chewy, hearty texture. Crisp edges and soft centers loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips in every bite.

Spiced apple pie with cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, and allspice in a flaky double crust dressed with pastry leaves. Bakery-quality dessert with deep autumn warmth.

Lemon kiss cookies with a buttery almond dough wrapped around chocolate kisses, dusted in powdered sugar, and drizzled with melted chocolate. A lemon-chocolate surprise cookie.

Blueberry snack cake with cinnamon, lemon zest, and flour-coated berries that stay suspended in a tender crumb. A one-bowl bake great for picnics and lunchboxes.

Soft pumpkin cookies with tofu replacing eggs, spiced with nutmeg and allspice, loaded with raisins and walnuts. An egg-free drop cookie that yields 7 dozen.

Star-shaped chocolate sandwich cookies cut from a chewy cocoa-and-chip sheet bake, then filled with sweet cream cheese frosting. A festive holiday cookie that looks fancy but skips the rolled-dough fuss.

Drop biscuits with a jelly-filled thumbprint center, baked at high heat until golden. A quick from-scratch biscuit recipe with a sweet surprise in every bite.

Fun chocolate cookies with cocoa and chocolate chips, decorated with miniature bear-shaped cookies pressed around the edges. A kid-friendly baking project.

Go-to brown sugar slice and bake cookies: a freezer-friendly cookie log that slices straight from frozen onto the baking sheet. Tender, caramel-sweet, and ready to bake any time you need cookies fast.

Sopa de Aguacate is a traditional Mexican avocado soup with mashed avocados stirred into a tomato-onion stock and finished with cream. Served with crispy fried tortilla croutons.

Gingerbread duff loaf made with molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. An old-fashioned baked gingerbread with a dense, spiced crumb and deep caramel sweetness.

Little fruit cake squares packed with chopped dates, candied cherries, and pecans, baked in a 9-inch pan and rolled in powdered sugar. Bite-sized holiday treats.

Savory quick bread loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, provolone cheese, pine nuts, and scallions. A no-yeast buttermilk loaf that keeps for days.

Feather light cinnamon sugar muffins made with cake flour and nutmeg, rolled warm in melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Like a donut in muffin form.

Classic double-crust blackberry pie with a flaky shortening crust and simple sugar-flour filling. No frills, just four cups of berries baked golden in a homemade shell.

Single-crust pie pastry made with lard and a touch of shortening for a flaky, old-fashioned 9-inch shell. The traditional fat blend bakeries used before all-butter pastry took over.

Double chocolate dipper cookies combine cocoa dough, chocolate chips, and a white chocolate dip for tuxedo-style cookies. Bakery-level treats for cookie trays and gifting.

Spiced pecan drop biscuits with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice, loaded with chopped pecans and raisins. Buttermilk biscuits with a warm holiday spice profile.

Oatmeal ranger cookies pack rolled oats, corn flakes, and shredded coconut into a chewy brown-sugar dough. The cowboy-cookie cousin with a crisp-edge crunch from the corn flakes.

Blueberry puffs baked in individual custard cups with lemon-kissed berries on the bottom and a light cake batter on top. Turned out upside down for a warm, fruity dessert.

Old-fashioned spiced raisin drop cookies with brown sugar, buttermilk, and cake flour for a soft, cakey texture. A simple, homey cookie with warm mixed spices and plump soaked raisins.

Heart-shaped chocolate cookies loaded with chocolate chips, topped with melted white chocolate and candied pineapple. A Valentine's Day cookie that's rich, fudgy, and festive.