I just finished making Italian Buttercream for the first time. It is one of the best things I have ever eaten!!! I do have a few questions though...
My fist batch did not whip up. Why would that happen? (I did try again, because I knew something must have gone wrong!)
Also, how can I store leftovers? Will it last in the fridge with the eggs in it?
And last, can I serve this at a baby shower? Can you eat this if you are pregnant? Does the syrup get hot enough to kill all the bad stuff? I did use the carton egg whites, would that make a difference? Could I use meraguine powder intsead of egg whites?
Thanks to all who reply! I really love this stuff and want any tips I can get!
yes, real buttercream is wonderful! 
do you mean the eqq whites didn't whip? i would guess you got some egg yolk or some other substance in them.
i don't make big batches of frosting so not sure if you can keep the leftovers more than a week.
the hot sugar syrup should be enough to kill the bacteria, but recipes vary. i wouldn't serve it at the baby shower.
here's a handy link with info about egg safety
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Egg_&_Egg_Product_Safety/index.asp
Another reason why it didn't whip up could be if the egg white and sugar syrup mixture was too warm when you added the butter. This would cause the butter to melt causing it not to whip up.
I think IMBC can be frozen, thawed to room temp and rewhipped with no problems.
Berta
Did you get the Italian buttercream recipe from CC! I wanted to try it myself just to see what it taste like! Sorry-I don't know the answer to your question!
Thanks for the butter idea! It might have been that. I didn't wait to long before adding the butter.
The recipe I used was the Martha Stewart Italian Buttercream recipe. I don't know if it is on this site, but I can post it if you can't find it. It is sooooo good!
Hello, 101dal236!
Did you use the 7- minute frosting, combining the hot sugar syrup with the beaten egg whites? I normally beat them until they`re cooling down. I think that one is safe. I had to make that recipe every fifteen (15) days for my sister-in-law when she was pregnant, and my niece is now 7 years old and very healthy.
Hope this can help!
Good Luck!! 
Bye!
I just frosting cakes at a bakery that uses IMB, but I've never made it before. Anyway I know that we keep it in the fridge for quite a while (at least a week or more) and its fine, but in order to soften and re-whip it we have to warm it up first or it will get grainy. So what I do is take it cold and then melt a bit of it in the microwave and add the melted stuff to the cold stuff and whip away untill its all incorporated and soft.
As for serving it at a baby shower, I'd say that it would be ok if you a) used pasturized egg whites (from the carton or a jar, just as long as they are pasturized) or b) "cooked" the egg whites lust ong enough to kill the bacteria. This is what they do where I work (I saw it once). They cook the egg whites over a double boiler while whisking CONSTANTLY until they get to the right temp. (I'm not sure what this is, but I bet you could look it up) using a thermometer.
So, can you use meringue powder? I've got a bunch of it and would be great if I could use it for that?
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