Need pie advice

I don't know if anyone has made Banana Split Pie before . It's one of my hubby's faves, so I made it yesterday for him (or tried). Something went horribly wrong. I did use another recipe but they were almost identical. It was the base of the pie that I had issues with . The only ingredients are 2 c powdered sugard, 1/2 c oleo/butter, and two eggs. My old recipe called for the ingredients to be beaten for 5 minutes . The new recipe I used said to beat for 15 minutes. I followed this recipe and beat the mixture for 15 minutes. It then goes into the fridge to "set" for 6 hours and becomes semi firm like pudding would in a choc. cream pie. It was HORRIBLY runny.

So do you think that it was because I beat butter/sugar/egg mix for 15 minutes instead of 5 it caused this? Then I wondered if anyone else had problems with different butters? I did use a buttery taste one. On the front I noticed it said "65% vegetable oil" Could the butter have caused it? My poor husband was so disappointed.

I think it's likely the amount of beating that made the difference. As I read your post, that's really all that was different -- right? I don't think you can blame the fat. Butter -- margarine -- veg shortening -- whatever -- it's all fat. The only difference you should have between them is taste, not texture or consistency. If you substituted a liquid fat for a solid one, that might be a different thing, depending on the particular recipe.

Thanks Fran. I really had no problem with the old recipe . I just didn't realize that the amount of time beating the sugar/butter together would make a difference. In fact, I thought it might actually help to make it fluffier and firmer. Oh well....

Now, I'm not familiar with your recipes, but assuming that you're beating the egg into that mix, too, I would think that the critical thing is the reaction between the sugar and the egg. That actually does part of the cooking of the egg, and perhaps the longer beating overcooks it. Think of a baked custard left too long in the oven -- how it breaks down again? or scrambled eggs left too long in the pan -- how they become watery? I think you may be seeing a similar thing. Better luck next time, eh?

What a great point you made! Yes, that might be exactly what has happened.

I would suspect that the difference between fat and oil would make a huge difference. When a recipe calls for butter, they are specifying fat. And the "buttery flavour spread" choices are not butter. In addition, they often have air beaten into them to make them spreadable, so in effect, you have way less fat than the recipe called for, because they already did a good portion of the beating for you. I don't think you can substitute the soft spread buttery flavour products for an equal amount of butter in a recipe.

Actually the recipe called for Oleo. Just knowing how the consistentcy of margarine has changed over the years, I wondered if that could be it.

That would be my guess. I think that any "solid" shortening would work, but you can't substitute the same amount of the spreadable kind that comes in a tub. They do strange things to that stuff, so it doesn't behave the same way as traditional shortening.

I googled, and found this bit of advice, on http://www.foodsubs.com/Fatsoils.html.

oil (Avoid substituting oils for solid fats when baking cookies, cakes, and pastries; it will make the dish greasy and dense. If you must do so, substitute 3 parts oil for every 4 parts solid fat and consider increasing the amount of sugar and eggs in the recipe. Pie crusts made with oil aren't as flaky as those made with solid fat.)

diet speads (Great substitute when used as a spread, but doesn't work very well as a substitute in baking. Substituting diet spreads for butter tends to make cookies flat and thin.)

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So your buttery flavour oil product definitely won't have the same consistency as solid fats like butter or Oleo.

The other issue, about the butter substitute being whipped, so there is too much air in it, can be solved apparently by substituting by weight, not volume. So, for example, if it says to use 1/4 cup, then work out the weight of that amount (I think there are 2 cups in a pound of butter), and then use the same weight of the soft spread product.

I always figure it's just easier to use butter. And it tastes good

And further google search finds this from the Hershey website at http://www.chipits.ca/EN/baking_tips...rg_spreads.asp.

Margarine is a butter substitute made with at least 80% fat (often vegetable oils such as safflower, soybean or corn oils) by weight and flavoring from dairy products. Use only sticks for baking; soft types of margarine in tubs may have air beaten into them.

Margarine made with 80% fat is the only acceptable substitution for butter. Read package labels carefully, as many margarine products are actually "spreads."


Margarine-Type Spreads or Vegetable Oil Spreads
These products have less than 80% fat by weight, with primarily water replacing the fat. Unless a recipe calls for a specific type of spread, i.e. 1/2 cup 60% vegetable oil spread, the Hershey's Kitchens recommend you do not use spreads for baking.

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So, the problem wasn't the amount of time you beat the mixture, I am sure it was the type and quantity of butter substitute you used.


(sorry if this is all boring, my sister studied food chemistry, and passed on all sorts of fairly useless knowledge about fats and sugars in cooking, so I am always thrilled when that knowledge is actually useful)

YAY!!!! It's not useless! I'm glad you pointed this out. I have never had any problems using "spreads" in my cooking before. This is very interesting
information.