Try this, when making your frosting, beat it at a low speed, the lowest speed possible and not very long. That way you don't get too many air bubbles in your frosting.
First thing to remember is that for every string that you get to work, three or more will break. Stringwork is one of the hardest techniques to learn.
A couple of things could be causing your problem. One could be lumps in your frosting. A single grain of sugar can cause your tip to clog. Take a brand new knee high hose, place your frosting in it and "strain" it into your bag.
For continual breakages, your frosting could actually be too thin. The weight of the string will cause the frosting to fall practically every time. Test your consistency by making a loop on your finger tip that is at least 1 inch long. If it holds, then your frosting is good. If you have to fight to get the frosting to come out of the tip after you have strained it, then it's too thick. Thin it very slightly with corn syrup or glucose. Corn syrup has more water in it, so be careful how much you add.
To know if your frosting is the correct consistency before straining, the royal icing should have very little if no shine to it. It should have a slightly matte look. The shine means it has too much water. It should have medium soft peaks when a spatula is dipped in and removed. If the peaks are jagged, then it is much too stiff. If the peak dropped too quickly, then it's too soft.
Be sure to check that the opening of your tip is perfectly round, with no burrs. These two things will cause endless problems. A round file made more welding torches works very well for rounding and smoothing small tips. You can get a set at a hardware store for less than $10.
Good luck with your project. I would love to see pictures.
Michele
I almost had to throw my last cake to the dogs because the stringwork made me so GRRRRRR. But I found that it helped to angle the bag, so you pull it toward the other side, rather than doing it from the front head on.
Well...... I don't use a tip because when I worked in the in-store bakery they taught me not too. So that is probably a big part of the problem. My wonderful husband just bought me a new set of tips. I have never used Royal Icing. These are new things I need to learn
Well...... I don't use a tip because when I worked in the in-store bakery they taught me not too. So that is probably a big part of the problem. My wonderful husband just bought me a new set of tips. I have never used Royal Icing. These are new things I need to learn
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