Oh Nana Ruth, we’re getting into a little bit of tricky territory here, but yes, you can usually substitute butter if shortening is called for in baking recipes. For every 1 cup of shortening in the recipe, use 1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter. But note that using butter instead of shortening will make cookies less crunchy--but probably better tasting! As for pie crusts, if the recipe calls for shortening, you can use butter (in the ratio I mention above), but the crust will turn out less tender than if you used shortening. Since butter is much more flavorful than shortening, many bakers compromise by using half butter and half shortening (or lard) in pie crust dough, giving a good-tasting AND tender crust.