What Is Aussie Version Of Shortening And Meringue Powder??
Decorating By bakerchick Updated 12 Aug 2007 , 1:47am by LiliS
hi all
this is probably for the aussies out there!! just wondering what is used as shortening and also meringue powder in australia.
i am trying to make crusting buttercream and keep coming across shortening, but i haven't heard of it before and don't kow what to use in australia?? also is there another name for meringue powder? anyone know where i can get it?? please please please help!!!!
many thanks
bakerchick
Meringue powder = powdered egg whites can be used.
shortening = veggie shortening..it should be white/ a little off white and solid at room temp.
veggie fat or TREX
Good day,
This might help:
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-2926.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-42113-australian.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-32409-australian.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-24566-australian.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-21814-australian.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-12844-australian.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-9901-australian.html
HTH
hey bakerchick
we have a few shortening here like cream cup, solite, if you google these using the Australian search you should find where to buy them. most places sell in bulk though. you can buy crisco here at a specialty USA food supermarket in Melbourne.
Copha is not the same shortening that is used in America!!!
http://www.usafoods.com.au/index.php
just search Crisco
As for meringue powder i am pretty sure our pavlova magic in the egg shape container that you buy at the supermarket is the same thing....
Hope this helps
kylie
even though copha is considered vegetable shortening, it does have to be melted in order for you to use it...
so in this case i would not recommend that it be used as a shortening for buttercream... believe me it makes the buttercream taste awful....
yes i know it isn't the same as crisco as crisco is based on corn or soy or some other vegetable derived shortening.
Copha is coconut oil based but is considered vegetable shortening
chaptlps
Copha is most certainly a vegetable shortening but not suitable for making buttercream, it's more used for cooking to make chocolate crackles and frying stuff : )
bakerchick I use solite, you dont need to add meringue powder to it, just icing sugar. Where in Oz are you??
Cheers
Nati
there is another veg shortening - it's called "cream cup" and it is much nicer taste than so-lite - I've used both, and so-lite tastes very fake - where as cream cup - you know it's fake, but doesn't have as weird a taste to it.
And as boonati stated - you most definitely can't use copha as a substitute for crisco or shortening - totally different product!
-- Fi
thank you ladies for straightening me out I was just tryin to help that's all. My intel is bad then and maybe there is someway that that can be fixed.
I got my intel from L. Smith's "celebrate with cake!"
I wonder if there is a way to let her know about these other types of veg shortening?
thank you ladies for straightening me out I was just tryin to help that's all. My intel is bad then and maybe there is someway that that can be fixed.
I got my intel from L. Smith's "celebrate with cake!"
I wonder if there is a way to let her know about these other types of veg shortening?
chaptlps
Im sorry if i came across as if i was chastising you or something. Not meant to do that at all 
. I just wanted to help as well and make clarifications as to what copha actually is. I know that some people looking for vegetable shortening have used copha as a buttercream base and had hideous results. I just dont want this to happen to someone else ; )
It can be confusing for beginners because we dont have vegetable shortening suitable for making buttercream easily available (in Australia) You can only get it from specialist stores (such as cake decorating shops) or wholesale food service suppliers. That is how it's happened that some beginners have heard "vegetable shortening" and thought copha would be ok.
I use copha for making gumpaste, and keeping my work area non stick though : )
cheers
Nati
Hi, with the meringue powder - have you tried that dried pavlova mix? It comes in an 'egg' and I think I've seen it in the jelly section of the supermarket. Don't know if it would work, but I think its a similar thing. 
hi all
sorry about the lateness of my reply - work and all!!
thanks to all of you for this info, i would never have guessed that pavlova magic eggs would do the trick, also the shortening is a bit of a tricky one, does anyone have any good recipes for good buttercream that ingredients can be readily obtained??
many many thanks to you all again for your time.
regards
bakerchick
hi all
sorry about the lateness of my reply - work and all!!
thanks to all of you for this info, i would never have guessed that pavlova magic eggs would do the trick, also the shortening is a bit of a tricky one, does anyone have any good recipes for good buttercream that ingredients can be readily obtained??
many many thanks to you all again for your time.
regards
bakerchick
Bakerchick
Are you after a crusting buttercream or not? If not, Italian Meringue Buttercream and French Buttercream, are buttercreams that are not too sweet, really yummy and are made with eggs, sugar and real butter.
I can point you to some recipes if you're interested.
cheers
Nati
hi
thanks for your reply, i was under the impresson that butter cream was pretty much the same for fillng or crusting type depending on how you use it? i would very much like recipies for the filling type that are nice and firm yet really tasty and also the type for finishing a cake on the outside?? is there any such animal?? if i can get the real thing with good ingredients that would be a bonus. the only real recipes that i have at present are the american ones and they seem to be all butter, which makes me wonder how tasty they really are??
many thanks for your patience
regards
bakerchick
hi
thanks for your reply, i was under the impresson that butter cream was pretty much the same for fillng or crusting type depending on how you use it? i would very much like recipies for the filling type that are nice and firm yet really tasty and also the type for finishing a cake on the outside?? is there any such animal?? if i can get the real thing with good ingredients that would be a bonus. the only real recipes that i have at present are the american ones and they seem to be all butter, which makes me wonder how tasty they really are??
many thanks for your patience
regards
bakerchick
Bakerchick
From what i've heard (please someone correct me if im wrong), what is referred to crusting buttercreams are buttercreams made with shortening and powdered sugar. I think that it's the powdered sugar in them that makes them crust. The italian meringue buttercream and the french buttercreams are made with regular granulated sugar that is melted in a syrup and added to the eggs, and then this mix is added to butter. The texture and taste is completely different, and it looks different on the cakes as well. The crusting buttercream has a dull look to it, and the french and italian have a shine to them.
Nati
hi
thanks for the reply, i'll have a look at the links you've sent me and see what i can find.
thanks again
bakerchick
I just put a post this am in regards to putting fondant frangipanis on buttercream frosting. ShirleyW said use Italian Meringue Buttercream but it has cricso in it, is the recipe Boonenti has different to this one on CC. If it is I would appreciate knowing what it is.
Thanks
I just put a post this am in regards to putting fondant frangipanis on buttercream frosting. ShirleyW said use Italian Meringue Buttercream but it has cricso in it, is the recipe Boonenti has different to this one on CC. If it is I would appreciate knowing what it is.
Thanks
Hi Sparklepop
A *true* IMBC doesnt have shortening, maybe some incarnation of it has, but it's not a true one
Here is the recipe i've used before
http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=recipe3747
Cheers
Nati
PS: Tis YUMMO : )
Hey boonenati, thanks for the info. ShirleyW also told me there was no crisco in IMBC, the recipe I looked up was for Italian Buttercream Meringue Frosting (on CC) which was not the one she was referring to, she also put me right. 
Buttercream is not something I've done for a while so it's kinda like a new adventure 
.
Thanks again\\
Lyn
hey guy's
i'm glad to see i'm not the only one that didn't know. I've also got the link and will try tis, how firm will IMBC set?? not hard i imagine but firm enought to not be really sloppy on application??
many many thanks
bakerchick
hey guy's
i'm glad to see i'm not the only one that didn't know. I've also got the link and will try tis, how firm will IMBC set?? not hard i imagine but firm enought to not be really sloppy on application??
many many thanks
bakerchick
bakerchick
It sets like butter in the fridge, but you have to eat it at room temperature, and then at room temp it will be nice and soft, a friend of mine describes it as "edible velvet" ; )
It's not sloppy, it has the consistency of a really really firm whipped cream, i really dont know how else to describe it. The Cupcake Cafe in NY uses French Buttercream which has the exact same consitency and it has a similar recipe, except they also use the egg yolks, so the colour is a little yellower.
Have a look here at the beautiful creations done in french buttercream
http://www.cupcakecafe.com/cupcake.htm
http://www.cupcakecafe.com/occasion.htm
http://www.cupcakecafe.com/wedding.htm
If you want to see some creations done in IMBC have a look at antonia74's gallery, she uses that a lot, and has some of the most beautiful cakes here on CC
cheers
Nati
I used copha to make BC a few weeks ago, being a newbie and all and guess what???? Everyone LOVED the buttercream icing. it was the hit of the day. I had family sticking their fingers into the bowl and eating the left overs without a problem. People are still talking about it.
So go figure.... it isnt bad tasting at all.
Thanks Lilis
just wondering if you would share your recipe? Thanks for the info too.
bakerchick
I just used the buttercream dream recipe from this forum and I let the butter and copha sit out for a couple of hours. I beat them in the KA for about 5 minutes till it was well incorporated and basically followed the recipe. I didnt realise till later that copha wasnt the shortening the recipe required!!! 
But anyway, as I said it worked a treat and I actually have a birthday cake to make and they have requested that exact buttercream.
I feel kinda weird making it again after reading the stuff on here, but no one got sick, it proved successful enough to get a request and I guess if it's ok for chocolate crackles, it's ok for buttercream.
Hello,
I too did what LiliS did and weighed up my options of not readily available crisco and thought that copha is also used in alot of recipes ie. chocolate crackles and put it in the buttercream dream and it is also the recipe that everyone dips into the bowl and eats straight away. I melt it and whip it with butter until it is butter consistancy then start the recipe. Tastes yummy especially if I add lemon or strawberry flavour. I so want to try IMBC. I'm a little worried that I won't be able to make it but one day.... Leigh
Oh leigh, than god I am not the only one to do this.
When i found this thread I was thinking OMG what kind of doofus am I???
The only thing is I didnt melt it, I let it sit out till it was really soft, then I whipped the crap out of it!!
My family is not big on buttercream, specially my dad so I was truly shocked to see him leaning over the sink with blue fingers and lips (I made the BC for my sons baptism cake)
I still have a LOT to learn, but sometimes a small whoops can actually be a good thing!
Hey LiliS,
It tastes so much better than an icing with just butter doesn't it. It sets up nice and hard to because of the copha and my kids actually don't mind the icing. When they saw the first cupcakes with icing on it they said "ahhhh you know we don't like icing on our cakes" then an hour later they were all gone.
Who ate the cupcakes? The icings nicer than we thought.
LOLOL so your not alone in the whoops world.
Leigh
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