The last couple of batches of icing that I have made have had a greasy look to it. I have used Crisco and a store brand shortening that I thought would have a higher ratio (can't get Hi-Ratio shortening locally) and I have used both butter and margarine. My hands also seemed to melt the icing in the piping bags as I was decorating and my borders just didn't look as good as I wanted them to. I used a crusting buttercream recipe. Any suggestions??
I had this happen to me over the weekend and I actually attributed it to over-mixing. When I made the icing it really was too thin so I had to add powdered sugar and mix it up real well. I also had to mix a lot because I was making a dark pink and a dark purple and it took lots of additions of coloring to achieve the colors I was going for. It really was weird. After I put the icing on the cake and let it crust, I could run my finger over the icing and I would have a greasy spot on my finger and the icing looked sort of shiney on the cake! Like it was oozing grease. Gross! I'm not sure if I am correct in my assumption but it was the same recipe I always use and the over-mixing was really the only difference.
Oh, and my hands always melt my icing if I hold it in my piping bag for too long. I guess just from the heat.
I have used Crisco and a store brand shortening that I thought would have a higher ratio (can't get Hi-Ratio shortening locally)
All shortening is 100% fat.
Hi ratio shortening comes in different versions: with and without trans fat.
AP shortening (like Crisco) also come in different versions: with and without trans fat.
Trans fat IS NOT what make a hi-ratio shortening different than an AP shortening. Rather it's the amount of emulsifiers in the forumulas - and no AP shortening can compare to hi-ratio cake & icing shortening (Sweetex) or icing shortening (Alpine).
HTH
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