Buttercream icing

[jojo75]

Hi There,
I have a recipe for Buttercream icing and it's from America. It says to use Vegetable Shortening.
What is this and what purpose does it serve.
Also can you flavour and colour this type of icing
Thanks very much
Jo

[wilmay]

shortening is simply the fat content, so probably means to use sunflower spread, or something like that

[Clanad]

The preceding answer is essentially correct, except that the 'Shortening' is hydrogenated vegetable fats. It can be sunflower oil, cottonseed oil or any number of 'vegetable' derived oils. The hydrogenation means the product is semi-solid rather than liquid.
Probably the most popular brand here in the U.S. is Crisco... it's been around for years. The product is flavorless and is a substitute for lard, butter or other such products, especially in making pastries or pie shells. There has been controvesy about the product's health benefits since the hydrogenation process's trans fats can be a concern. The process, as mentioned, is intended to make the shortening stay firm, even at room temperatures.
I, personally, try to avoid any with Palm Oil listed as an ingredient. I see a brand name of Cookeen listed in the U.K.
Best of luck!

[DaisyMae]

Use butter instead, it is safer and far superior in flavour. If using for cakes or pastry, use half butter half lard. Steer well clear of trans fats. See this site for more information - http://www.tfx.org.uk/page75.html

[jojo75]

Hello,
Daisymae,, Thank you for your post, i am reading it with great interest and will look at the website.
Thanks
Jo

[DaisyMae]

Hello again Jo, perhaps I should have made it clear that if you are making butter cream you should ideally use salt-free butter such as Lurpak and allow it to come to room temperature naturally, don't try to melt the butter it will go oily and spoil the appearance of the cream.

You can colour this butter cream with any of the usual colouring agents - most supermarkets sell a variety of colours. Be a bit mean though, you can always add a little more to enhance the colour but you can never take it out once it is in.

Good luck, I hope it all goes well.

DM

[phylkat]

By the way make beautiful coffee cream by adding coffee essence or melt a tea/spn of instant coffee grans in a table/spoon of boiling water into a cup just drop a few drops off the back of a spoon into the butter icing & test & taste to how you like it. Yum!

pk