Anyone Else Notice Crisco..
Decorating By SweetConfectionsChef Updated 18 Feb 2013 , 5:31pm by dryerson
I haven't noticed a change in my frosting with the new Crisco, and that's the recipe I use except I use water instead of milk/cream - maybe that's the difference? I'd be curious to know if others that have not had a problem with the new Crisco use water or milk/cream.....
~Chelle
Unfortunately, I have tried it both ways, and got the same result....frosting that was way too soft and almost runny, and just about impossible to pipe with The batch with water held up slightly longer, but after just a small amount of time started to become 'soupy'....looks different, spreads different.....
I'm going to the local Smart & Final today to pick up some of their brand since I have not had good results with most market house brands.....hope this works better....have a cake due Friday!
I haven't noticed a change in my frosting with the new Crisco, and that's the recipe I use except I use water instead of milk/cream - maybe that's the difference? I'd be curious to know if others that have not had a problem with the new Crisco use water or milk/cream.....
~Chelle
Unfortunately, I have tried it both ways, and got the same result....frosting that was way too soft and almost runny, and just about impossible to pipe with The batch with water held up slightly longer, but after just a small amount of time started to become 'soupy'....looks different, spreads different.....
I'm going to the local Smart & Final today to pick up some of their brand since I have not had good results with most market house brands.....hope this works better....have a cake due Friday!
Well, there went my little balloon of hope! LOL Oh well, back to the brainstorming drawing board.
Just as a FYI to everyone, I picked up a can of the Food Lion Store Brand Shortening and gave it a whirl last night. The consistancy was great, no air bubbles, wasn't loose or runny, no specks of shortening when colored, however, the taste was very bland, no matter how much flavor you added to it. Also, I noticed that if you sealed it up in a airtight container and then went back and opened it later, it had a really strong "chemical" smell to it. Needless to say, I will not be using that to make my icing. They will think the cake is radioactive or something!
I too got on the Crisco site and told them about my troubles. I missed her call back to me . My e-mail bascially said I wanted two products, one with the transfat and the other with none. I want the right to choose which product I use for whatever project I have. Sure hope they can do something! I too encourage everyone to let them know how you feel.
For gateaux: Crisco changed its formula before it changed the label. The true "old formula" cans have the trans fat listed in the percentages on the back. The new formula in old-style label looks the same, but if you read the back label you'll see it's 0% transfat. Finally, they now have the new label which excitedly proclaims 0% Trans fat!! Woo-hoo!!
Got my phone call from Crisco.
Basically I was told they 're no longer making the product with the transfat. The woman also told me that they have gotten lots of complaints but that she isn't sure that will be enough for them to start running the old product again.
She will pass along my complaint.
I went and looked at the last can of Crisco I got awhile back. It says no trans fat. I did not notice any difference when I made some icing awhile back.
Has anyone in Canada noticed the new Crisco formulation? I just bought a can of Crisco last week and it is chock full of trans fats! I wonder how long it will take us to get the new formulation. Maybe I'll become a mad woman and buy the stores out.... lol.... now just where to store them!!
Well, I went to the local Smart & Final today and found that they had a whole shelf full of the 6# tubs in the old formula!! WooHoo.. Trans fats!! I bought 4 of them for now and will probably go back and buy more this weekend with my cake money Had to make frosting tonight, so did a little comparison of my own with the leftovers from the previous batch on Mon.....Here's my take on it:
The transfats (TF) give the frosting a much smoother texture, it doesn't look like its sweating, no appearance of separation, more delicate mouthfeel, looks the same after sitting for 30 minutes as it did fresh whipped, and I can already tell it will smooth beautifully on the cake with minimal effort.
Without TF the frosting looks and feels very gritty and has a sweaty shine to it, the taste when directly compared to the other is VERY noticable.....gives that coating taste/feeling that so many people talk about with Crisco. I have never had that taste before (or at least it didn't bother me) but now..YUCK! When I put a spatula upright in the frosting to check for consistency, it starts to lean right away ... this is 'stiff - medium'. Just overall, it looks soupy and sloppy compared to the good stuff.
Okay, done with the science stuff , I'll take my teacher hat off. Now I know that many of us have already discovered there was a difference in the 2 formulas, but for me to see it up close and personal really put it in perspective. The differences are extremely obvious. I am totally convinced that this is the reason for my recent wedding cake disaster and the difficulty in piping my half & half recipe. Since we obviously will need to be able to work with this at some point, I have to ask those of you with no obvious problems.....What is your secret?? Are you doing something different?? Do you have a different recipe?? Do you put something in to stabilize your recipe usually?? What about the hi-ratio shortening? Does it have TF? Since it is formulated to suspend various molecules within the frosting anyway, do you think it will affect its use?
Okay, this is, like, really long But hopefully somebody has some suggestions.... Anyone?
Note to self: Go to every quiet grocery store and buy them out of the "old crisco" and tell my Ma to "Buy them out" when she goes to the local bent and dent grocery store (if they get in a load of liquidated crisco)..
I honestly wondered what was going on with my icing this last go-around... It just didn't seem to stiffen up like I'm used to. Especially for working with fondant, my base just didn't harden enough.. Now I know why..
Well, I was browsing through this thread and thinking about how I had a problem in the middle of 3 cakes last weekend. I made 3 batches of icing and sent DH to the store for more shortening. It was in a blue can, so I didn't pay any attention. I made another batch, adding all the same ingredients, and it was super soft and grainy textured. I thought I had absent-mindedly added too much water or something. Next time around, I added a tablespoon less of water, and that seemed to help some.
After scrolling through the post, the new shortening is trans fat free! I guess adjusting the water might help some. I will definitely be aware of this next time I buy some.
I knew Crisco was going to do this but I hadn't thought much about it. The last time I purchased some I got 2 cans that looked normal and 2 that had the zero trans fat logo on the lid. I didn't think to look at the normal cans to see if they were also trans fat free. Anyway, I have been noticing that my icing was turning out much softer than normal, but I thought it was just because I was starting to wean in a little butter in my recipe rather than just straight shortening. Now I know to check my cans when I get home. I don't have a problem with "healthier" shortening, but we've got to be able to work with it. Thanks for all the tips posted, I was starting to get freaked out cause I have a very large order to do on Friday.
Have any of you considered switching to an all-butter buttercream? I make both a powdered sugar version and IMBC or SMBC. Yummy!
I know melting can be an issue in high humidity areas, so I'm not sure what you'd do about that since I haven't experienced it. However, most of the big name cake decorators use meringue or French buttercreams and since some of them are located in high-humidity areas, there must be a way to make them work!
It is more difficult to make perfect roses and such with an all-butter recipe, but it's possible (still getting there myself).
I'm not telling you to give up your fight to get your Crisco back--just saying there are other options.
I think most crusting BCs have a Crisco or shortening base.
You can't use the mats with IMBC or one that doesn't crust.
I decorated two cakes yesterday adding the 2T cornstarch to each batch. I must say...it helped but it's not even close to the same consistency I had before the crisco change. I'm switching to generic - walmart brand had transfat yesterday - until I find a supplier for high ratio in this area.
..... I have to ask those of you with no obvious problems.....What is your secret?? Are you doing something different?? Do you have a different recipe?? Do you put something in to stabilize your recipe usually?? .... Anyone?
I'm not having a problem, but I've no idea what I'm doing different. I'm doing the same thing I've done for 25 years. Sugar, crisco, milk and vanilla. I add the milk "as needed" until I get the consistency I need.
I will offer that when I've seen folks post the recipes they use, that i'm sometimes amazed at how much butter/shortening is being used compared to what I use. Most of what I've seen has twice the butter/shortening in the recipe.
Not sure if this makes a diff, but I use about 1-1/3 cups of crisco to 2 lbs of sugar. I've seen recipes posted where folks are using 2 cups of shortening (or shortening/butter combo) to 1 lb of sugar.....Twice the fat in 1/2 the sugar.
However, if your recipe has been working for you and now it's not, then I'm not going to be much help.
(edited to correct a typo)
This thread is so long and I don't know if I'm alone in this or not, but I have tried the Great Value shortening and it was waaaaaayyyy tooo soft! Even scooping it out of the tub I could tell it was a much different consistency than Crisco. I was able to make the frosting work, but I will never use it again. I have no idea what I'm going to do about the new Crisco, I had some of the old stuff.
Personally, I use 3/4C Crisco to 1# powdered sugar so that is little more than Indydebi and I add milk until it is the right consistency. I do not mix my liquid and shortening before adding the powdered sugar. I have not tried the new Crisco yet as I haven't had an order since I got my new can. I'm dreading trying it.
Diane
Well, I just attempted to finish a cake with it. I have made frosting for years, so I know it is not me. I went to fluff it up after being in the fridge, and it turned to BC soup!! It would not be so bad, but I had made an 8lb. batch. I guess I'll just use it for my writing and leaves. Off to the store to find some Trans Fat!!!
I'm sure you meant 2 lb. of sugar not shortening.
Diane
YIKES!!!! you're right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll go in and edit to correct that!
Only problem with all butter anything is it gets rock hard if refridgerated and served cold...... I would prefer to only use my IMBC, but the bistro keeps the cake in the walk in and if it didn't have some shortening it would not be palatable to many people For any of my regular cakes, the heat here in the valley just melts it However, I'm thinking that the texture of the butter may be better than the sloppy soupiness and UNPREDICTABILITY of this new @#*%$# .... Just another excuse to experiment.
I think most crusting BCs have a Crisco or shortening base.
You can't use the mats with IMBC or one that doesn't crust.
Crusting has more to do with the ratio of powdered sugar to fat than what type of fat you use. A powdered sugar buttercream made with all butter does crust.
I'm not having a problem, but I've no idea what I'm doing different. I'm doing the same thing I've done for 25 years. Sugar, crisco, milk and vanilla. I add the milk "as needed" until I get the consistency I need.
I will offer that when I've seen folks post the recipes they use, that i'm sometimes amazed at how much butter/shortening is being used compared to what I use. Most of what I've seen has twice the butter/shortening in the recipe.
See, now to cut some of the sweetness, I have adjusted my recipe the opposite way.... a little less sugar with the regular amount of fats ..... I use 1 1/2 cups fats (butter/crisco) to about 1 1/2 ~ 1 3/4 lbs of sugar. I'm wondering what would happen if I didn't use any extra moisture?? If I left out the milk or water, maybe used some piping gel (or corn syrup) to adjust the smoothness of the frosting Maybe this is the key, since hydrogenating the fats keeps them solid to a higher temp, then doesn't this no TF thing mean they will become liquid sooner??
Darn, guess I will have to play this weekend Unless someone has tried this already? indydebi...how much liquid do you think you add??
Eme, I use between 1/3 to 1/2 cup of milk. I have a bride coming over for a sampling tomorrow and I have to make a new batch, so I will actually measure what I'm doing. Your idea sounds interesting.....
Indydebi, do you not use butter or almond extract in your icing?
Diane
nope! vanilla only and lots of it! I don't like the almond taste or even the creme bouquet taste in cakes. Pure vanilla is heaven to me!! I've had cakes in which I thought "this would be a great cake without that nasty nut taste in it!"
If a recipe calls for 1 tsp of vanilla, I usually put in 3 or 4 tsps!
I use 1/2 butter and 1/2 Crisco and (knock on wood) haven't had any problems. My icing may be a little softer but it's smoothing great!
Keep in mind that if the state you live in bands trans fats - there's nothing Crisco can do about it or any other company. If they want to make a product it can't include the trans fat unfortunately - no matter how bad we want it.
Debbie
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