Butter is the gold standard for cookie baking and some recipes have scrumptious flavor and correct texture only when butter is sued. In this magazine, we've included those recipes by specifying "butter (no substitutes)." Butter is necessary in most of our recipes for cutouts and slice-and-bake cookies, and in a few other recipes. Our recipes that call for either butter or margarine produce good results with either fat, as long as you use a margarine that contains 80 percent vegetable oil. If the fat percentage is not clear from the front of the box, check the nutrition label; the margarine should have 100 calories per tablespoon. You may have to read a lot of labels until you find one that works. Brands of margarine that contain 80 percent vegetable oil include Land O'Lakes, Mazona, Nucoa, and some store brands. Be aware that these companies also produce lower-fat margarines, so check labels carefully.
