Recipes with vegetable shortening

Fudgy bon bons: a chocolate truffle-like dough wrapped around a Hershey's Kiss, baked just 6 to 8 minutes, and drizzled with white chocolate. A hidden-surprise cookie that bakes up shiny and molten.

Easier to work with. The original recipe called for brandy or grape juice, but I found that if you substitute the orange juice concentrate, it has a nicer flavour.

Monkey-faced cookies: old-fashioned molasses drop cookies with ginger and cinnamon, decorated with three raisins for eyes and a mouth. Makes 36 cookies in 30 minutes. A classic kids baking project.

Monkey-faced cookies: old-fashioned molasses drop cookies with ginger and cinnamon, decorated with three raisins for eyes and a mouth. Makes 36 cookies in 30 minutes. A classic kids baking project.

Banana cake with peanut butter cream cheese icing and chopped peanuts. Tender buttermilk crumb, classic Elvis-style flavor pairing in sheet cake form. Refrigerate before serving.

Bath buns: lemon-scented English tea buns dotted with raisins and candied citron, brushed with sugared cream for a sweet, glossy crust. A traditional cousin to the rock cake.

Classic German sauerbraten made with venison: a 3-day vinegar and spice marinade, hours of slow braising, and a tangy-sweet gingersnap gravy. This is the ultimate project recipe for wild game lovers.

Pennsylvania Dutch funny cake baked in a pie shell with chocolate sauce on the bottom and vanilla cake on top. Two layers swap places in the oven like magic.

Traditional menudo style tripe stew with egg-thickened broth, sauteed onions, and tender simmered tripe. A heritage Mexican-American comfort stew passed down through generations.

Golden bubble ring (monkey bread) made from homemade yeast dough balls rolled in butter, cinnamon sugar, and optional nuts, baked in a tube pan until golden and pull-apart tender.

German chocolate brownie cookies marry fudgy cocoa cookies with the classic coconut-pecan caramel topping. Brown-sugar dough loaded with chocolate chips, crowned candy-bar style.

German chocolate brownie cookies marry fudgy cocoa cookies with the classic coconut-pecan caramel topping. Brown-sugar dough loaded with chocolate chips, crowned candy-bar style.

Traditional New Mexican fry bread made with just 5 pantry ingredients. Simple dough kneaded smooth, rolled thin, and deep-fried golden in minutes. Serve with honey.

Mix-in-the-pan chocolate fudge cake with no eggs, no milk, no butter. Poke three holes, pour, stir, and bake. The original depression-era wacky cake that still delivers.

A three-layer Christmas cream cake with coconut and walnuts in a buttermilk batter, frosted with cream cheese icing studded with chopped maraschino cherries. Southern holiday baking at its prettiest.

Southern hush puppies made with grits and buttermilk instead of cornmeal. Deep-fried golden in 3 minutes with a gritty, crunchy texture you can't get any other way.