Regular shortenings, or all-purpose shortenings, have a fairly tough, waxy texture, and small particles of the fat tend to hold their shape in a dough or batter. They are called plastic shortenings, which means they are moldable at room temperature. Regular shortenings can be manufactured to varying degrees of hardness. They have a good creaming ability. This means that a good quantity of air can be mixed into them to give a batter lightness and leavening power. Also, this type of shortening melts only at a high temperature.
