Recipes with vegetable shortening

Pirates pies are deep-fried meat hand pies stuffed with seasoned ground beef, rice, bell pepper, and ketchup in a homemade dough. A Cajun festival favorite with crispy golden crust.

Mocha buttercrunch pie with a pecan-chocolate shortbread crust, a frozen mocha mousse filling, and a coffee whipped cream top studded with chocolate chips. Three layers of coffee-and-chocolate richness in every slice.

Elegant apple pie with port wine filling and sharp cheddar pastry crust. Apples simmer in port, apple juice, and lemon zest until just tender. Lattice top shows off the ruby-tinted filling.

Homemade flour tortillas with just four ingredients: flour, shortening, salt, and warm water. Soft, pliable, and ready to wrap around tacos, burritos, or quesadillas straight off the griddle.

Danish almond cookies (Mandel Kager) with cardamom and cinnamon, brushed with egg wash and topped with a blanched almond half. A traditional Scandinavian Christmas cookie.

Crisp, crumbly Swedish coconut cookies leavened with baker's ammonia for an ultra-light snap. Rolled into walnut-sized balls and baked until golden. Makes 4 dozen buttery, coconut-flecked treats in under an hour.

Betty Crocker mint swirl chocolate cake, that's easy to make using box cake mix and turns out very pretty.

Vanilla sheet cake split and filled with a whipped butter-shortening cream made with evaporated milk. Cut into squares for individual cream-filled cakes that taste like homemade Twinkies.

Chewy oatmeal cookies loaded with milk chocolate chips, chopped toffee bars, and maple syrup. Rolled into balls and baked until just set for a soft, chewy center.

Bring out the Scottish in you with these delicious snacks that are perfect to eat after having a hearty dinner.

Note: The original recipe called for 5 1/2 cups of flour. Due to feedback we've reduced the amount to 3-1/4 cups. Add flour gradually until you reach what you think is the right consistency.

Vintage 1935 chocolate yeast bread with cocoa, pecans, and vanilla kneaded by hand and baked into a dark, fragrant loaf. A Depression-era recipe worth reviving.

Smothered burritos: warm homemade flour tortillas rolled around refried beans, drenched in pork-and-Anaheim chili verde, and blanketed with three melted cheeses. Southwest comfort food plate that eats like a diner favorite.

Smothered burritos: warm homemade flour tortillas rolled around refried beans, drenched in pork-and-Anaheim chili verde, and blanketed with three melted cheeses. Southwest comfort food plate that eats like a diner favorite.

Traditional English fruitcake loaded with raisins, candied orange and lemon peel, citron, candied cherries, and walnuts. Baked low and slow in a tube pan for over 2 hours.

Classic American apple pie with a lattice crust, vanilla-scented filling, and half and half for extra richness. A from-scratch shortening crust that bakes up flaky and golden.