Wilton Frosting...friend Or Foe?
Decorating By angelas2babies Updated 2 Feb 2006 , 1:13am by auntiecake
I am a WIlton Method Instructor and there are some accounts that require you to purchase your book for each course. Michael's (as far as I know) is not one of them. I believe Hobby Lobby requires you to purchase your book though..but it does vary with each account....
memascakes (Cindy)
Hmmm, I'm in Ohio and Michael's charges $12.50 for the Course. I don't know if there is a book included, but with my luck it will be the book that I just bought!! lol
Thanks for all the replies.
Angie
Angie - in Ohio all Michaels stores supply the book with the class. There is not even an SKU on the book to be able to sell it. The one thing that is good is now you have a spare. 
You have to cut the last few pages out of the book to make your practice boards, so you have a book to cut and a book to keep!
(I start teaching at Michaels this Saturday!) 
Is it the WILTON SCHOOL DECORATING CAKES book? With the pink cake on the cover? The "reference and idea guide" ? Awww!!! I just bought it a few days ago! Oh, well. At least I used a coupon. Good luck with your class. That should be very fun to teach!!
Angie
Buying the book for the class might be because some places charge so little for classes. It might just be that they take them and sell them for extra money, who knows?
My instructor in class 1, made excuses for why she wasn't going to make icing in the class. She just went into the showroom of the supply store I took the calss at, and got premade icing in a tub, NOT Wilton.
I still shop at the place, but didn't take the rest of the classes at that store, just because she was un-professional. If one of the other people that worked there were teaching them I gladly would have taken them there.
My book was included in the class, but my calss also cost around $25, I'm sure that is the difference. I use an all butter buttercream for the cake, I can smooth this the best with VIVA, a fondant smoother and chilling peridocally. I use the class buttercream for decorating, there is no way I could do all the stuff with a butter base. I'm newbie and as someone posted earlier, yes I have hot hands!
Nope that isn't the reason either, no matter what the class costs, the book is free at Michaels. Period. Sometimes there is a special where you buy the class kit for $25. and you get the class for free or for a penny. Right now the class is half off ($12.50) and no matter what the deal going on at the time is, your book is included for FREE. I don't know how the other stores operate, but that is supposed to be Michaels policy across the board.
I am not a newbie anymore, and I still have the hot hands. I have read that keeping one of those blue ice things and holding it every so often helps with that. I haven't tried it yet though!
Nope that isn't the reason either, no matter what the class costs, the book is free at Michaels. Period. Sometimes there is a special where you buy the class kit for $25. and you get the class for free or for a penny. Right now the class is half off ($12.50) and no matter what the deal going on at the time is, your book is included for FREE. I don't know how the other stores operate, but that is supposed to be Michaels policy across the board.
I am not a newbie anymore, and I still have the hot hands. I have read that keeping one of those blue ice things and holding it every so often helps with that. I haven't tried it yet though!
Also an ice-cold can of pop or dare I say it, beer, haha! Whatever works! I use an extra cup of powdered sugar which really helps for me. Guess it helps the icing not get messy so fast.
Cheers!
Squirrelly
Quadcrew - thanks for the info on the books. I'm hoping to take Course III soon. Congratulations and Good luck on your first night of teaching!
I too have "hot hands." I'll have to try some of these tricks. I've stuck with the class buttercream while I'm learning the techniques. Now that I'm getting a little better, there are a few other recipes I would like to try.
I like the cold pop idea. I was practicing a bit today and it's so hard to frost a cake!! The more I try to smooth it, the more problems I create. Good thing I put plenty of bad decorations over it to cover it. LOL. What part of Ohio do you teach in? It would be very funny if you are going to be my instructor!!
Angie
I guess I have the opposite problem. My hands are always cold. I have trouble molding the candy clay or star bursts for flowers and other creations b/c it's so stinkin hard and my hands don't warm them up like normal people do.
Have you tried using those plastic gloves that people use in the food industry? Sometimes the plastic makes your hands warmer, a bit sweaty from being enclosed, it might help? I have trouble molding harder things too but mostly because my hands are not terribly strong. Some people use a Kitchen Aid on speed 2 with the hook attachment.
Hugs Squirrelly
The gloves are a great idea. Thanks! Those might do the trick. I know they do make my hands sweat anyway. It just took me half an hour to make one rose from tootsie rolls. At this rate, It'll be a week before I get enough done for sundays cake. My best friends birthday was yesterday and we are having her party combined with their superbowl party on sunday, so I'm doing a chocolate cake with all chocolate accents and thought it'd be fun to try the tootsie roll for the flowers and leaves. Death by chocolate?
The gloves are a great idea. Thanks! Those might do the trick. I know they do make my hands sweat anyway. It just took me half an hour to make one rose from tootsie rolls. At this rate, It'll be a week before I get enough done for sundays cake. My best friends birthday was yesterday and we are having her party combined with their superbowl party on sunday, so I'm doing a chocolate cake with all chocolate accents and thought it'd be fun to try the tootsie roll for the flowers and leaves. Death by chocolate?
I wonder if you might want to try microwaving the Tootsie roll for a few seconds, might help. A lot of people do that too with fondant.
Haha, "Death By Chocolate", what a way to go!
Hugs Squirrelly
I took C1 and C2 at Hobby Lobby (in 2000 and later) and we recived the book (free) with the class. I took C3 and currently teach at Michaels and you recieve the book (free) with the class.
Michaels does a monthly promotion for the classes, which are orginally $25. The promtions for this year are mostly 1/2 off, though there is 'buy the kit get the class free' (March/October), bring a friend for free (May/September) and buy the class ($25) get the kit for a penny (July).
From my understanding, each store, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's and Garden Ridge, may have different promotions (or none?) than the others. All Michaels will have the same promtion, but that doesn't mean Hobby Lobby's will be the same that month.
Anyway, all of that was to explain why the prices are different. Sorry I can be long winded. 
I guess the posts are coming in out of sequence. How weird. The tootsie roll roses are not that hard to make. Other than squishing down the tootsie rolls. I cut each tootsie roll into four pcs and then make the petals by making them flat and round. Cut a tootsie roll in half to make the initial "hershey kiss" shaped base. then start wrapping them on. I made a bunch of petals while discussing some repairs with someone a bit ago and then he was shocked at how fast the rose itself was created as we were talking. To bad I can't fix the water damage in my wall as fast and easily. I think there is a tutorial on here somewhere for how to make fondant or gumpaste flowers, and the technique is pretty much the same.
Costco uses half butter half shortening and the other is just whipped topping (Nutra whip).
Angelas2babies
I looked at the Course 1 book and it looks like it is mostly information the first lesson not hands on. I do have students bring a cake and frosting the first time, but our classes dont follow the Wilton outline. It looks like they go over bags, tools, tips, frosting, 3 essentials of cake decorating etc. Lots of great information. I would ask someone else too just to be sure. The teacher may be able to decide. Good Luck and have fun!!!
My first Wilton class was just informational as well.
I have only used the Snow White Buttercreme recipe for icing, and everyone LOVES it! I get so many compliments on it. Even dh likes it more than store bought icing. LOL
*Waves* Hi Sheila!!!!
Tina
A lot of stores around here use bEttercream. It is a whipped icing and light. It has quite a bit of air in it and not as easy to use as buttercream. It uses oil instead of shortening. It also needs to be refrigerated to keep it from breaking down.
Sheila,
I'm wondering if my Starburst flowers were a failure b/c I nuked the candy for a few secconds? It was easy to shape, but too sticky. The petals stuck to themselves. I was forced to eat my botched rose.
Thank you for all of the replies. I'm making a batch of the Wilton BC today to practice with. The book I got has great instructions in it. I tried some of the techniques yesterday with pre-made frosting, and being consistant is going to take ALOT of practice. I didn't buy the kit, either. I decided to buy the master pack of tips and a few spatulas, disposable bags, and a cleaning tool, along with some brushes. I love having all these tips to play with! Came with 2 flower nails, too. (Still need to buy the bigger one, though.)
Can I use butter flavored shortening for the BC?
Thanks for all your help.
Angie
I'm new and have just started my cake addiction
and I have noticed some comments and preferences of many experienced decorators here. I know that ultimately it is preference, but out of curiosity, who uses Wilton's recipe and loves it, and who doesn't? Is it the consistancy or taste that plays the biggest role? I am starting classes next week.Thanks in advance!!
Angie
yes, it depends on tastes and likes of people. I for one like it. It is creamy and very forgiving and I add almond extract and it tastes wonderful.
It is the one that I use 98% of the time.
Amazingly, I have made the wonderfully tasty Italian Meringue Buttercream and my family doesn't care for it.
But so far, people love the Wilton buttercream recipe with added almond extract flavor.
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