I'm converting some of my grandmothers' and aunts' recipes, or trying to, and my aunt made this great Mississippi Mud Cake with shortening. That's Crisco. I need a healthier alternative. Any suggestions?

Also, my great-gran made these delicious cream cheese cookies with, again, a gob of Crisco. My best friend used to call them Crisco Cookies because, in spite of the name, Crisco and sugar are the main ingredients. Seriously, 2 cups of Crisco, 2 cups of white sugar, 5 cups of cake flour, 8 oz. of cream cheese, 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla.

Any thoughts on how to make this healthier?

Thanks, all,

Roxy