For the 1 c. shortening, use 1/2 c. butter and 1/2 c. shortening. Some decorators use all (1 c.) shortening. Use clear vanilla flavoring. ABC Crisping Cookie Frosting for Flooding 1 c. shortening 1 t. almond extract ½ c. water, as needed 1 t. vanilla extract 2 lbs. powdered sugar BEAT shortening and extracts in a large bowl until creamy. (Use a stand or a handheld mixer.) ADD powdered sugar, 1 c. at a time, beating until well-combined before adding more sugar. ADD water 2-3 T. at a time, alternating with the powdered sugar. BEAT until creamy. Use more or less water to reach desired consistency. Add food coloring. SMOOTH out air bubbles by hand with a large spatula by pressing the frosting to the sides of the bowl.

For the 1 c. shortening, use 1/2 c. butter and 1/2 c. shortening. Some decorators use all (1 c.) shortening. Use clear vanilla flavoring. ABC Crisping Cookie Frosting for Flooding 1 c. shortening 1 t. almond extract ½ c. water, as needed 1 t. vanilla extract 2 lbs. powdered sugar BEAT shortening and extracts in a large bowl until creamy. (Use a stand or a handheld mixer.) ADD powdered sugar, 1 c. at a time, beating until well-combined before adding more sugar. ADD water 2-3 T. at a time, alternating with the powdered sugar. BEAT until creamy. Use more or less water to reach desired consistency. Add food coloring. SMOOTH out air bubbles by hand with a large spatula by pressing the frosting to the sides of the bowl.

Butter is sooo expensive and I bought some butter flavoring and some shortening to make buttercream for my cupcakes and cakes. (Just getting into cookies.) omg I threw all the buttercream out. Lol. I think it should be fine mixed with ACTUAL butter. I didn’t have any butter except for a little container of whipped butter we use for regular stuff around my house so I put a couple tablespoons of that in the one batch I kept and it was better but still had too much of a shortening flavor for my tastes. Lol. So to save money, I’m going to try at least half butter and half shortening if not more butter and less shortening. But it should help. And, for what it’s worth, I don’t think it would make much of a difference in a lot of baked goods that have tons of other flavors. Butter flavor is just so integral to buttercream and texture means a lot as well. And I felt like I was just eating shortening with sugar in it. I hate shortening. Lol. I added some butter flavor in the batch I kept too but I put TOO much in one batch and it only tasted like butter with a strong alcohol scent (I used McCormick Butter Extract) so I was afraid to add too much. I had no idea how much to add. Sorry this got long and you probably got it all figured out by now anyway. I just saw your comment and I despise shortening and literally just had those experiences the last two days. 😂

@@erin6692 When I do use shortening, it's Spectrum Organic and I use 50/50 butter and shortening. Yeah, I hear ya on the slimy taste of 100% shortening. 🧡