wgoat5, I get mine at Wal-Mart....the french vanilla.
I would like to try what Sharon (Sugarshack) uses for her flavoring, it sounds like it makes a yummy flavor icing. I know from the 1st time using her recipe, I have had a lot of compliments on the icing....now if I could just do cake as beautiful as hers 
.
From what have read about the Creme Bouquet you add 1 teaspoon per 2 pounds conf. sugar in any icing. Another flavoring I would love to try is Butavan Flavoring Emulsion, it has a buttery/vanilla taste. Heres what I found out on how to use it....Where a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon flavoring - sub Butavan using a little less than a teaspoon. I got this information on how to use these from the sugarcraft.com web site.
Hope this helps you,
Sharon (grannys3angels)
Edited To Say: wgoat5...on a reply in here date Mar.25, 2006 Sharon (sugarshack) saids,(quote) "idid not specify an amount; you just add the amount of liquid you need to get the consistency you like. i use about 21 TBS" (unquote).
I knew I had to have read somewhere from her to have an amount to work with, guess my brain isn't aging well .
hey ladies
Glad it si working for you!
I just wanted to mention that recently I have only needed 12-13 TBS ofliquid.... I think it varies with each batch of shortening I get. So don't get too anal about the amount of liquid needed; you the right amount you need to get the consistency you want, and keep in mind it might change...
I am going to try using 6 pounds of PS and a tiny bit less shortening tonite to see how I like a crustier icing....
Hello Sharon,
Please, let us know how it turns out. Also THANKS again for posting and sharing your icing recipe.....I LOVE IT! and so does everyone that has tasted it. I don't think I would have ever try the hi-ratio shortening, if it had not of been for the look of the icing on your cakes and your post. I will never go back to the other shortening.
Thank You,
Sharon
Welcome to CC, Sharon!
I don't know how this thread has eluded me since it began but danged if it hasn't! I plan to try and find Sweetex here in Houston sometime soon and try your recipe for crusting buttercream.
I'll keep up with ya'll now that I've caught you by the tail! I am especially interested to see how your new test batch of this bc goes for getting a "crustier" bc. 
I made it way too dry and crusty; not happy with results; going back to my old standby.....LOL ( or maybe try something in between just to try it out) 
Sorry the test batch didn't work out Sharon.....but the bright side is you still have a wonderful and great BC icing in your old standby 
.
Thanks for giving us a update on the test batch.
Sharon
One question - do you put all ingredients in the bowl and mix? I'm used to creaming crisco & extracts, then alternating powdered sugar and liquid...
i cream the shortening and liquid first till smooth ( liquid is hot) and then add PS and let her rip.
Why Hot liquid? I'm very curious!
i just think it makes the icing smoother, creamier and with less air. JMO
Do you guys (and Sharon) REALLY sift 5 pounds of ps to make this recipe?
I love the recipe and make it quite a bit but I always dread when I have to get out the sifter and sift 5 lbs of sugar. Seems to take me forever.
Any suggestions?
WOW, you just saved me hours of work....
I have always been tempted to just dump the ps in the mixer (I use Domino 10x) but worried that I would ruin all the ingredients by getting lumps and having to dump the whole thing.
Your recipe said "sifted" so I was just playing by the rules
I'm glad I asked!!!
Now, you said your liquid is hot. Do you mix everything up and then just microwave the liquid or something? Thanks.
My recipe says sifted? OMG we have to ammend that ....LOL
I gave up sifting years ago . Now ,I no longer use Dominos because I find it has a lot of chunks in it. I use store brand or Pillsbury sugar now.
i mix shortening and liquids first; then slowly add the ps.
i mix shortening and liquids first; then slowly add the ps.
Yes, great tip! I have found that adding the liquid at the beginning makes allllll the difference in the world. That and making sure you FILL the bowl. If you do both of these things you will have NO air bubbles.
BTW, I have the 4 1/2 qt. KA mixer and I use 5 sticks of butter, 2 1/2 cups of hi-ratio shortening, 4 tsp of butter-vanilla, and milk. I am still playing around with how much milk, but I add it all in the beginning. The icing comes up to the top of the paddle, but still stays in the bowl.
Thanks so much for these tips Sugarshack.
luvbakin: How much ps do you use for your recipe?
OMG, can't believe I forgot that 
LOL! I use 5 pounds of powdered sugar for that recipe. I normally sift it, but may get brave and try not sifting it like sugarshack.
I have also made a smaller batch with the same great results. 4 sticks of butter, 2 cups of hi-ratio shortening, 4 tsp of butter-vanilla, 4 pounds of powdered sugar, and milk. It didn't come up as high on the paddle of the mixer, but it was high enough that I didn't get air bubbles.
luvbakin is the butter vanilla like butavan?
I'm not sure. I have never tried butavan, but I want to. I get this stuff from my local cake decorating shop. They put their label on it, so I don't even know who the manufacturer is.
Sugarshack
I am so glad to see you back, the good thing a about you is that you don't mind what i would say is teaching. I consider you as one of the best so any tips i could recieved from you would be greatly taken. I can recall pm you several times in the past about certain cakes that you had posted and you answer every last one of my question? I do have a question now and is about the wine bottle which is in the basket cake in your photos, you have already told me about the basket weave roller at an early time I am just wondering how did you make the bottle and also , what are the handle make out of .
I have the same recipe but add white marg to it and use powdered skim milk with water.
I thought that with hi ration shortening you didn't have to use as much as you would if you used crisco. 5 cups of hi ratio seems alot with so little pwd sugar plus the expense of high ratio too. jmo
That was my understanding too, but after playing around with the recipe this is what I have found to work best for me.
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