BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS SUGAR COOKIES WITH SHORTENING RECIPES

Steps:

• Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges. For crust, place cookies in a food processor; process until chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the pecans; process until fine. Add melted butter; process until combined. Press mixture evenly in bottom of pan. Chill 20 minutes.
• For filling, in a large bowl beat softened butter with a mixer on medium 30 seconds. Add pudding mix and cream; beat until smooth. Gradually beat in the remaining 3 cups powdered sugar. Beat on medium to high 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Carefully spread filling over crust.
• For topping, in a medium bowl combine chocolate and shortening. Microwave 1 minute or until nearly melted, stirring once. Stir until smooth. Spread over filling. Cover and chill 2 hours or until firm. Use foil to lift out uncut bars. Cut into bars.

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix 1 cup flour and the salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary). Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap, and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
• Heat oven to 400°F. On surface sprinkled with flour, using floured rolling pin, roll pastry dough into circle 2 inches larger than 9-inch pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side and being careful not to stretch pastry, which will cause it to shrink when baked. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired.
• In large bowl, toss Filling ingredients. Pour into pie plate, mounding apples toward center.
• In medium bowl, use pastry blender or fingers to mix butter, 1 cup flour and the brown sugar until a crumb forms. Sprinkle evenly over top of pie. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon granulated sugar on top.
• Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until pie crust and crumb topping are deep golden brown and filling begins to bubble. Transfer to cooling rack to cool.