I'm confused now - will using shortening make the cookies CRISPY or SOFT? Some commentors say butter makes them crispy, but others (and you) say shortening. I'm just a novice at baking anything, so sorry if this is dumb! NOT DUMB! Never. We're all learning from one another all the time. Speaking of, a great place to learn is at our online community, where people are asking and answering questions all the time. My experience is that shortening yields crispier cookies, because it's 100% fat; butter includes milk solids, which tend to "temper" the crispness. That's my opinion, and I'm stickin' to it! :) PJH

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