Did you know that Earth Balance makes a vegan shortening? I didn’t. I was walking through the store looking at one thing, looked down, and the green box jumped out at me. I’m pretty sure I had never seen it before, and for those of you that know me well, you know I have a memory that won’t quit. I decided to give it a go since shortening is used a lot in commercial bakeries. I read the ingredients, and everything was safe for Kid Two. It was only when I got home however that I realized there was soy in it, which was a little bit of a bummer.
The kids and The Papa seemed to like it. For full disclosure, I used our standard vanilla frosting recipe, and exchanged one stick (8 TBSP) of dairy free butter for the shortening. The top two comments were: It’s less sweet. It’s like eating a marshmallow or a cloud. Interesting, right? Kid Two really tried to communicate with me the difference between what we normally make, and this one. He says that it’s good, but some people may feel like they may have “wanted more” from their frosting. I’m still not quite sure what he’s trying to tell me, but bless him, he tried so hard.
We had other family members try, and the best feedback I received was: it’s great with coffee, like a pastry. So, they were echoing the fact that it’s not as sweet in taste, even though it was a 1-for-1 exchange. I find this to be fascinating because as a child, there was a short time in the 5th grade when I knew I would be a scientist. OK. On to the recipe.
Allergy Status: Wheat/Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Peanut Free, Yeast Free, Sesame Free, Nightshade Free, Low Histamine, Vegan
Ingredients:
1 stick Earth Balance Vegan Shortening, room temperature
4 cups Organic Powdered Sugar
2 tsp Organic Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
6 TBSP Water (you can change this given your desired consistency)
Related post: Pumpkin Frosting Recipe
Directions:
When we leave the dairy free butter out, it gets really soft. However, the shortening didn’t get as soft, so don’t be alarmed.
Start by whipping the shortening in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Next, add in the other ingredients, and only 3 TBSP of water to start. Pulse and mix on low-speed, to get things to start to combine, then continue to add the water 1 TBSP at a time. Turn up the speed as the icing forms and whip it into shape.
It comes together quickly like most other frostings. Enjoy!
