Well I was at the cake store getting some materials for a wedding this weekend, and thought...what the heck, I will get a big tub of hi-ration shortening, just to see if there is a real difference. OMG!! My icing is smooth like ice. It is sooooo creamy, no grains at all, and I could clearly feel them on my tongue before. I was just premaking all my icing, I havent actually iced a cake with it yet, but I am SO excited to start icing. It was like velvet in the tub.
Usually i have to order my off the internet, But i made a great discover, Its still about a 20mile drive from my house, But i found a store that carrys Sweetex , Im so Happy 
But i didn notice that for some reason, That my icing was a little grainy this time i even sifted the PS, Have no clue as to why,
I tried the hi-ratio shortening and I loved the texture of the icing too but I didn't like the way icing tasted when I used it. I hate that I bought and now won't really use it but I think I'm going to order some cake dummies and use it for practice icing.
I tried the hi-ratio shortening and I loved the texture of the icing too but I didn't like the way icing tasted when I used it. I hate that I bought and now won't really use it but I think I'm going to order some cake dummies and use it for practice icing.
Was it Sweetex? Reason asking is, i used another brand of hi-ratio and i hate the taste it was slimmy on the tongue, Sweetex is great,
I don't think it was Sweetex. I will have to check when I get home. I will repost the brand name but it was yucky.
I am a firm believer in Sweetex....amazing stuff!
Do you use the same amount of hi-ratio shortening in BC recipes, or do I need to search out new recipes that specify hi-ratio? I usually use indydebi's BC with normal shortening.
I used a recipe from CC that called for the high ratio shortening.
Are you sitting down??
A 50 lb. block is about $85 at www. fondant source . com and that's the best price I can find. www.globalsugarart.com has 12 lb. for about $35. You might find smaller quantities elsewhere.
It can take up to 3 lb. for a batch of Sugarshack Buttercream, depending on the size of your mixer. I don't know about other recipes, but someone else can jump in here on that one.
I tried the hi-ratio shortening and I loved the texture of the icing too but I didn't like the way icing tasted when I used it. I hate that I bought and now won't really use it but I think I'm going to order some cake dummies and use it for practice icing.
Was it Sweetex? Reason asking is, i used another brand of hi-ratio and i hate the taste it was slimmy on the tongue, Sweetex is great,
I just checked the brand and there is no actual brand name on it. I ordered it from Kitchen Krafts. HA. . .That might explain part of the problem...it doesn't even have a brand associated with it.
I'm a Sweetex girl too LOL. I love it, my BC is delicious, I must admit I use real butter as well in my BC. Sweetex is not expensive if you work it out per lb. $3.00 per lb. It is the shipping that kills me, I order it from Global & bless Alan for shipping it parcel post to me $17.00 instead of $41.75. One of the drawbacks of living in Hawaii is the outrageous cost of shipping anything here, USPS is the best method & if it is not anything too heavy Flat Rate Priority is an excellent service. UPS & Fedex are out of the question.
Usually i have to order my off the internet, But i made a great discover, Its still about a 20mile drive from my house, But i found a store that carrys Sweetex , Im so Happy
But i didn notice that for some reason, That my icing was a little grainy this time i even sifted the PS, Have no clue as to why,
I had the same problem too. I wonder why & I sifted mine too which I never do.
Sweetex girl here too; I had to settle for Penguin down here until I can order some Sweetex, and....YUKKKK!!! It definitely has a flavor. I'm using it since I have it, but also using lots of flavoring to hide the odd taste. Actually, tastes like Wilton fondant to me?
Question for the ones having trouble with their icing being grainy....have you changed your brand of powdered sugar? I know some say there is a difference between cane sugar and beet sugar, cane being preferred. Or possibly using 6x instead of 10x? I do notice a slight difference when I've done that.
My recent icings with the Penguin HR have been basically as smooth as with Sweetex using Sugarshack's recipe, until last weekend. I decided to use a different recipe that called for butter as well as shortening since I was covering the cake in white chocolate anyway, and WOW, was it grainy!!! I don't know if the ps I have is cane or beet as it came from a restaurant supply and just says 10x, but whatever it is, it wasn't grainy until I used a recipe that didn't call for hot liquid, and did call for butter. Needless to say, I will never stray again from what is tried and true!
I use sweetex and love it, but because of the "greasy" after taste I do half sweetex and half Land of lakes butter. I mention the brand name because I have not found success or equal results in using store brand butter, it seems to "break down" if I make it even one day in advance. 
But when I use Land of lakes it holds up very well when made in advance. 
Same thing goes for my 10x PS I "Refuse" to use anything other than Domino Sugar, anything else have a very grainy taste to me. Not sure if its available every where but its pretty much a staple here in Louisiana when it comes to PS.
I too love Sweetex......I use Sugarshack's recipe except I use 2 1/2 cups of butter and 2 1/2 cups of Sweetex along with the HOT liquid and it's smooth as silk and not grainy at all.
The HOT liquid is key......it breaks down (melts) the sugar so no "graininess".
I never sift my PS.........too much work.
I too love Sweetex......I use Sugarshack's recipe except I use 2 1/2 cups of butter and 2 1/2 cups of Sweetex along with the HOT liquid and it's smooth as silk and not grainy at all.
The HOT liquid is key......it breaks down (melts) the sugar so no "graininess".
I never sift my PS.........too much work.
dkelly...I am guessing that you are a New Englander.....(great game, huh?) Can you tell me where you buy Sweetex? I am in Boston and can't find any places for all these items I hear about...particularly Sweetex. I've tried Lorraine's (?) in Hanover, MA but haven't found mcuh there....
thanks!
Ally
I too love Sweetex......I use Sugarshack's recipe except I use 2 1/2 cups of butter and 2 1/2 cups of Sweetex along with the HOT liquid and it's smooth as silk and not grainy at all.
The HOT liquid is key......it breaks down (melts) the sugar so no "graininess".
I never sift my PS.........too much work.
WHat kind of taste difference do you find with half butter? 
I also like to use a stick of butter in my bc.....yummy........I used the stuff at walmart...great value I think the name. ......and it was not bad...and it crusts great..I had a bad time with Indys....I know so many love it, but I do better with my own I guess
Does anyone happen to know of a place in the Florence/Myrtle Beach, SC area that I may purchase Sweetex? Maybe in the Raleigh/Durham NC area? I ordered some from a online distributor SBN 1lb @ 3.99 plus shipping and handle. I was trying to see if I could find it a little cheaper. TIA
I too love Sweetex......I use Sugarshack's recipe except I use 2 1/2 cups of butter and 2 1/2 cups of Sweetex along with the HOT liquid and it's smooth as silk and not grainy at all.
The HOT liquid is key......it breaks down (melts) the sugar so no "graininess".
I never sift my PS.........too much work.
dkelly...I am guessing that you are a New Englander.....(great game, huh?) Can you tell me where you buy Sweetex? I am in Boston and can't find any places for all these items I hear about...particularly Sweetex. I've tried Lorraine's (?) in Hanover, MA but haven't found mcuh there....
thanks!
Ally
I order mine on-line I've not found a local place that sells Sweetex. There is a baker's wholesaler in Lincoln RI that sells hi-ratio but it's not Sweetex (can't remember the brand) it's OK but you can tell the difference in taste.
That Pat's game was insane on Sunday.....how about all the snow? I thought they were playing in Colorado when I turned the T.V. on and saw it snowing....I'm about 30 min south of Foxboro and didn't get any snow. It was crazy great!!
I too love Sweetex......I use Sugarshack's recipe except I use 2 1/2 cups of butter and 2 1/2 cups of Sweetex along with the HOT liquid and it's smooth as silk and not grainy at all.
The HOT liquid is key......it breaks down (melts) the sugar so no "graininess".
I never sift my PS.........too much work.
WHat kind of taste difference do you find with half butter?
I use salted butter so you definitely get a "butter" taste to the butter cream which I like.
I don't buy the Wedding Bouquet that she uses, so I figure I need some real butter in there to get a nice flavor along with good quality vanilla.
I don't know it's probably psychological....I want to know that there actually is butter in my buttercream! Weird I know! LOL 
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%