I've never used shortening in my icings. Do they taste greasy? I was going to try a CC BTcream icing this week with shortening.

Can I get some positives and negatives PLEASE!

ADon't use Crisco! High ratio shortening is best but if you can't find it use a store brand that still has the trans fats in it. Hth :)

I use Crisco, it works fine.  I have tried HR shortening and have not seen too much of a difference.  HR shortening is not available where I live and it's quite expensive if I order it.  Try both, but I think you might be happy with shortening.

I have always used shortening and prefer Crisco.  My icing doesn't taste greasy. Actually I get quite a few compliments on the taste.  Try it.  I think you will be pleased.

AIs it the same in amount?

AI hate crisco its greasy! High ratio shortening has different ingredients in it than regular shortening so it holds more liquid and sugar in it and it whips up much lighter. You can buy high ratio shortening at a cake supply store or a restaurant depot or online.

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00024WNTU

I know cakes are not 'a healthy food' in general..but high ratio shortening is really bad stuff- a huge negative in my book. personally I would never use it nor would I eat a cake with it- unless there was a trans fat free one.

AI have seen a few hi ratio teams fat free ones in my search today. I am new to cake decorating, and I agree that crisco makes the icing greasy. Does anyone have a brand they like best? Particularly one available online on smaller amounts? The 50lb cube is a little much for me.

I've literally never used shortening for anything. I use all butter in my frostings, whatever the instructions call for in my cakes, a precise 50/50 mix of butter and really good margarine in cookies and turkey dressing (the latter gets salted margarine and unsalted butter), and a 50/50 mix of butter and Canola oil for Rice-a-Roni (tm).

I might consider using it for piecrust.

At any rate, Crisco always reminds me of a certain filthy locker room joke, which does not bear repeating on a family board (in spite of what's been bandied about recently on the "things to never ask/tell your baker" thread).

Incidentally, according to everything I've read, not all trans fats are bad. Only the ones that either don't occur in nature, or are outright toxic, or both.

Uh, I don't use turkey dressing, or Rice-a-Roni, in cakes or cookies, of course. Rather, when I make turkey dressing, I use a 50/50 mix of salted margarine and unsalted butter to cook the chopped celery and onions, and when I make Rice-a-Roni, I use a roughly 50/50 mix of butter and canola oil, rather than margarine, to saute the rice and vermicelli.

As far as other things one would use turkey dressing crumbs in, well, lightly pulverized, they work well as the crumb component of a turkey loaf (one pouch, lightly pulverized, to one egg, one onion, and two and a half pounds of ground turkey). And thoroughly pulverized, they make a good breading for turkey schnitzel.

Of course, what this has to do with cakes, I dunno.

ASo if your shortening has 0 trans fat does that make a difference?

Has anyone tried the shortening from Aldis supermarket or Save-a-lot? Someone told me it's good for icing but the person it's not a baker so I will

like to know if any bakers here has tried those brands? BTW I use the walmart brand and it has worked fine for me :)

Thanks :)

I have tried the one from Aldi's and was not happy at all.  Very greasy and had a strong smell. Like I said before I always use Crisco and have never had a problem with it being greasy.  For a single recipe I use 3/4 cup of shortening to 1lb. of confectioners sugar.  Of course I rarely make a single batch.  I am a hobby baker but still usually make a double batch of icing.