How Are Buttercream Icings Made With Dairy Safe?

Baking By Krista512 Updated 4 Feb 2012 , 12:52am by AnnieCahill

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Krista512 Posted 2 Feb 2012 , 8:50pm
post #1 of 8

I have seen recipes on here for butter cream icings that call for milk, cream, half and half and even egg whites. And say it is ok. How is that safe?? I was a restaurant manager having to take many food safety courses and they clearly state raw egg whites are not healthy and any dairy should not be out of a fridge for more than 2 hours before being thrown out. Between the time to decorate and sitting out at a wedding or party it would it be safe. I'm Confused

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jason_kraft Posted 2 Feb 2012 , 9:50pm
post #2 of 8

The sugar in the frosting acts as a natural preservative to prevent spoilage.

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smm99 Posted 3 Feb 2012 , 5:36am
post #3 of 8

From your food safety courses, you must have learned about water activity? Between the high sugar content and low water activity of these icings, bacteria (and other microbes) can't grow. thumbs_up.gif

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Krista512 Posted 3 Feb 2012 , 5:42am
post #4 of 8

nope they didnt teach us that. maybe cause it was for grilled foods and not baked???? dont know but never heard of that. they taught us more about cooking to proper temps. and hold times for all different types of foods. and hold temps and such stuff.

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FromScratchSF Posted 3 Feb 2012 , 6:31am
post #5 of 8

Restaurants serve raw eggs all the time - only it's called "sunny side up". icon_biggrin.gif

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scp1127 Posted 3 Feb 2012 , 1:34pm
post #6 of 8

An egg is cooked at 165 degrees.

Refer to the .gov, FDA, egg board, dairy board, sites for your answers.

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smm99 Posted 3 Feb 2012 , 9:00pm
post #7 of 8
Quote:
Originally Posted by Krista512

nope they didnt teach us that. maybe cause it was for grilled foods and not baked???? dont know but never heard of that. they taught us more about cooking to proper temps. and hold times for all different types of foods. and hold temps and such stuff.




OK, well, it's not a big deal (well, it IS, but likely not for our purposes here). Suffice it to say this: bacteria need a certain amount of "free" water to be able to live and multiply - this is why dried milk (ie. milk powder) is shelf stable. The sugar in the icing binds up the water, making it unavailable to bacteria.

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AnnieCahill Posted 4 Feb 2012 , 12:52am
post #8 of 8

Because they're not raw. In the case of meringue buttercreams or whole egg buttercreams, they are cooked.

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