Do not mean to be a party-pooper but is everybody aware of the health risks of consuming trans fats (like the one found in shortenings). For those who have not read about this before, I recommend this link from the University of Maryland:

http://www.umm.edu/features/transfats.html

Has anybody found a good and healthy alternative to shortenings? (the so-called trans fat-free version of Crisco is not such, it still contains hydrogenated oils).

If a person consumed nothing but buttercream icing then I'd be concerned. Even as a decorator that has buttercream icing (made with shortening only, no butter) on at least a once a week basis I'm not concerned. It's the rest of my diet that is the deciding factor of my "health". I recently had a fasting lipid panel done and my doc said "keep up the good work" in regards to my levels. The buttercream icing must not be making that much of an impact on me.

I scrape off the frosting (unless it's chocolate). I know it's shortening and that disgusts me, but is pretty to look at. I'm sure that there's probably an article out there about the sugar in the frosting too. If you don't like the shortening or the sugar, there's a diabetic frosting recipe on this website that is tasty, but don't expect to do too fancy decorating with it. I could get basic piping but not much besides.

Luiri, thanks for this. I printed all the info out. I think you can get unhydrogenated shortening at health food stores. On the West Coast it's Wild Oats and one othe chain the name of which escapes me right now.

Ok... ignorant me here... but us weirdo Aussies use real butter for our butter cream icing/frosting... as far as I know it doesnt have trans fats - not the one I buy anyways... why do Americans use crisco & such? My hubby is always on at me about things like trans-fats - they are really evil from what I've read...

Anyways... was just curious as all... not saying that Ussies way is better or anything, just wondering why this crisco thing is so special.

-- Fi

using White solid vegetable shortening gives you a true white and holds its consistency longer than recipes using butter.

Feefs. I use the cream chesse, IMBC or SMBC or whipping cream. Rose Levy Birenbaum has a great Mousseline BC recipe. Just discovered a great BC in Toba Garrett's book. It uses a custard base and it doesn't all buttery. I avoid the shortenings because I find them disgusting. I call those sugar frostings because they are not buttercream frostings and don't even come close to butter creams . However, I know they can be easier to work with. I only bake as gifts for family and freinds so I am not under the pressure to use shortenings because of all their decorating advantages.

I suppose if all I ate in my diet was shortening made buttercream icing, then I might be concerned. Most people don't over indulge. The rest of my diet more than makes up for the fact that I love buttercream. Infact, my last blood tests came back that my sugar level was in the mid normal range, and my cholest. was down almost 50 points putting me at mid normal for that also. I feel that EVERYTHING that we eat could "kill" us if we overdose on it.

I agree that shortening is not good for you, but I think that most people eat cake knowing that nothing in it is good for them. That's why it's a special treat.

um, butter?

Count me in the "shortening is evil" group...My DH swears that he heard a radio talkshow saying that Crisco has ingredients that contribute to brain cancer...he's so adamant about it that he doesn't even want it in the house.

I love IMBC, but it is much much harder to pipe with because I have to keep popping it back in the fridge to firm up and chilling my hands under cold water to keep them from getting too warm.

Still, buttercream, to me, has to have BUTTER in it.

I have used an all crisco recipe once for a bride who insisted on pure white icing, and I had to drive the cake an hour and a half and set it up for an outdoor wedding....I didn't like using it, but it did hold up well.

There are people strongly for and against every type, so you'll probably get a pretty lively discussion here.

see ya [/i]

I'd actually be more afraid of raw spinach and lettuce right now than the shortening in my buttercream icing.

I understand why some people do not use shortening, and I respect that decision. I would love to be able to make buttercream with all butter, but I have yet to find a recipe that doesn't slide off the sides of the cake. If someone has a good (meaning that it will stay on the cake and I can pipe with it!) "butter" buttercream recipe to share, than I'd love to try it!

I've never had an IMBC slide...hmm I use a modified version of Sylvia Weinstock's imbc for everything, (I add way less vanilla, especially if it's clear vanilla, and 1 stick of salted butter for every 5 stick of unsalted). I have a heck of a time piping it; the nicest one I've tried for piping with was Rose L. Berenbaum's Mousseline BC.

moderation is the key. As with all things, too much of anything isn't good. A piece of cake with frosting on it here or there is not going to kill you.

Like someone else said, it is a treat. No one should be eating cake as a main course in their diet!


stephanie

shoot, I live in the South. Bisquits and Gravy will kill you before buttercream will!

We use vegetable shortening because it's melting point is 110 deg F vs. butter which is 95 deg F. Often a combination of both tastes best.

HINT: Don't eat frosting everyday, you'll get fat.

Hint: This is why cake is a celebration food.

What I took from this topic is that as a person in the food service industry.. or serving anyone really, one should be aware of what they are serving.

Using shortening or margarine is not something I think anyone should consume on a regular basis. By regular basis I mean EVER! That is MY OPINION and I am trying to be health conscience. Shortening jabs these shard like pieces that your body can not digest into your arteries causing them to clog. Eating butter is different because people have been eating butter for a long time, and the human body is MORE used to it..although it does cause high cholesterol among other things! When you go to wash butter off your hands, it comes of rather easily compared to shortening and it's the same on your insides.

Also, things like serving bread with potassium bromate are not good. Potassium bromate is a known carcinogen, and bread companies in the US are trying to keep it legal to serve even though it causes cancer! If you add potassium bromate to a batch of bread dough, it causes the dough to rise three times the size, hence cheap bread! Using potassium bromate is basically illegal in every other country in the world!

Although I do think that people are right in saying that nothing holds the shape of an icing rose better than something made with shortening! So potato potattooo

Since this is a thread about hi cholesterol, I thought you would find this article interesting:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fats.html