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VEGAN FEAST SUBSCRIBERS' COOKING AND RECIPE FORUM>
gritty palm shortening??
frances
5 posts
Nov 19, 2008
6:58 AM
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I bought a big tub of palm shortening a while back ... kept it in the 'fridge for a while but eventually gave that up b/c it was difficult to use - it got really hard when it got cold.
so i started keeping it at room temp ... the last few times I've used it (to oil pans, mostly) I've noticed it's gritty - like it has little lumps in it. it's not rancid or anything but it's totally unusable for cake frostings.
and now, i need to buy more for frosting and am wondering if my keeping the other in the 'fridge made it lumpy? or, maybe, that's just how this brand is and I should get another brand?
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Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
2407 posts
Nov 19, 2008
3:23 PM
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Frances, I don't know much about palm shortening, so I don't know what that grittiness would be. I actually prefer not to use it much, as it a.) contains quite alot of saturated fat, and b.) overuse of palm shortening is causing some problems in the third world with over-production that is crowding out other food crops.
I also don't think it tastes like anything. For frostings, I prefer to use regular (not light or whipped) Earth Balance. It tastes alot better and it works well.
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frances
6 posts
Nov 21, 2008
12:54 PM
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i don't use all shortening - usually about half eb, half shortening ... i've found this to do better when a cake won't be in the refrigerator, icing doesn't get as soft at room temp ...
the brand that became gritty was "jungle shortening" which claims to be sustainably-produced in the us. other available brand is spectrum (which, oddly, doesn't have anything about its sourcing on the container??) my bosch had issues with getting the lumps from the spectrum so I had to finish up with my $9 hand mixer!)
do you have any tricks for keeping all "butter" icing firm at room temp? is it true that cakes toughen if you put them in the 'fridge?
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Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
2410 posts
Nov 21, 2008
9:04 PM
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I have made wedding cakes and kept them refrigerated until the last minute-- no problem if your cake is not dry to begin with.
I have never heard of that kind of shortening-- I guess it is not available in Canada. When I use shortening, I use Spectrum, or the earth Balance "sticks", which taste like shortening to me.
Vegan "dessert diva" Fran Costigan described the icing for her daughter's wedding cake to me this way: "I made a very stiff 'buttercream' using Earthbalance sticks and organic confectioners sugar."
I'm not an expert in cake decorating. Here's my experience....
If you check out this blog post, there is a recipe for a lemon wedding cake with lemon "buttercream" frosting which I made for my son's wedding. It was in August, so I used 1/2 earth Balance and half shortening in it to give it more firmness. As you can see from the pictures, it held up outside in the heat. We kept it refrigerated until the cutting ceremony.
http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2006/07/leftovers-for-lunch-making-vegan.html
The cake is quite moist, so it refrigerates well. If you do the "crumb coat' and let it dry before the final icing, as instructed, this seals the cake well to protect against drying, too.
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frances
7 posts
Nov 22, 2008
9:30 AM
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this was your genoise cake, so it would probably have been fine in the 'fridge ... no need now, though, it's almost gone! :)
that cake was *so* good, btw! I didn't have high hopes, after tasting the stuff that was left on the parchment but, omg, it's really quite good - nice texture and would make a great wedding cake.
funny story - this birthday cake was going to be your genoise cake, lemon cream cheese frosting with the parsnip lemon curd filling.
so I was all ready to make the curd from a lovely bunch parsnips but I decided to look up in our veggie encyclopedia-type book to see what I could do with their greens. Luckily, I found out, before it was too late, I'd actually bought parsley roots ... somehow, I don't think parsley root curd would've been very tasty in my cake! (They were nice with other roasted root veggies, though.)
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Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
2411 posts
Nov 22, 2008
4:26 PM
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MM-MM! Parsley Root lemon Curd! lol!
Listen, I thought the following might be useful for you in future for decorating cakes:
Rolled Buttercream—can be used like Fondant, but no eggs!
http://www.baking911.com/asksarahbb/index.php?showtopic=5879
ROLLED BUTTERCREAM
Recipe will cover a 9" round, 2-layer cake with a bit extra
Cakes can be covered with Rolled Buttercream. It looks like Rolled Fondant, but is shiner and has the delicious taste of Buttercream. Some people say one is easier than the other, but its all a matter of preference. About Rolled Buttercream: Rolled buttercream is a firm dough that you can mold, shape and etc. versus regular buttercream that you can spread. It is equal parts of Karo and Crisco and without milk, butter or egg white/meringue powder. You will find that it is a softer covering than Fondant, so it can be harder to work with.You can mix half of it with half fondant, if desired.
INGREDIENTS (My suggestions in parentheses-- BCG)
1 cup Crisco (shortening) or Sweetex (Earth Balance sticks?)
1 cup Karo clear corn syrup (organic corn syrup?)
1/2 teaspoon popcorn salt (or fine grained salt)
1/4 teaspoon lemon oil*
1/4 teaspoon orange oil*
* or 1/2 teaspoon total of any citrus oil(s)
( or use 1 or 2 tsp. vanilla instead)
2 pounds (7 to 8 cups) powdered sugar (organic)
Paste food coloring, if color is desired
INSTRUCTIONS
Using a heavy-duty mixer, measure all ingredients into the bowl. If you wish to color the entire batch, add paste color at this time. (Make slightly darker than desired finished color). Beat till almost mixed together; the texture of soft pie dough. At this point, take out a small amount & store tightly wrapped in a plastic bag. This is used to soften icing if it gets too stiff (water cannot be added).
Turn out onto countertop lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Knead by hand for 2 - 3 minutes till all mixed. Check consistency frequently by taking a small piece & 'polishing' it with the palm of your hand. When it becomes glossy without sticking to your hand, enough sugar has been added. If it feels sticky, knead in more powdered sugar if it does.
Store tightly wrapped in double plastic bags in the frig. Allow to age at least 2 - 3 days. It may be kept, tightly wrapped for several weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.
To prepare the cake, layer & trim top edge so it is rounded. Crumb coat lightly with regular buttercream. Be sure it is smooth, as any imperfections will show thru the rolled icing. Remove room temperature icing from bags, and knead for several minutes.
Roll out between sheets of plastic (or on a counter or board dusted with a mixture of powdered sugar & cornstarch. Be sure to lift & turn, redusting icing frequently to avoid sticking. Dust rolling pin, also.) until approximately 1/4" to 3/8" thick & large enough to cover top & sides of cake. Flip over & remove bottom plastic. Pick up top plastic with icing on it, turn over carefully & center over crumb coated cake. Carefully start to peel plastic away from icing. Fullness around sides can usually be worked out or cut off & smoothed with your hands. If the icing should tear, just put a small piece over the hole & blend with your hand.
Cake size. To determine how big a circle to roll out to cover your cake:
1) Measure the height of one side; multiply by 2.
2) Add the diameter of cake
For example, an 8" round 2-layer cake would be approximately 4 inches in height. So, 4" x 2 = 8", plus 8" diameter = 16". You would need to roll out a circle of icing at least 16" across to cover the cake completely.
6"x 4" round.............................. 3/4 package = 18 oz.
8"x 4"........................................1 package = 24 oz.
10"x 4"......................................1-1/4 pkg. = 30 oz.
12"x 4"......................................1-1/2 pkg. = 46 oz.
14"x 4"......................................2 pkgs. = 48 oz.
16"x 4"......................................3 pkgs. = 72 oz
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Happy Baking911, Sarah Phillips, Founder and CEO, baking911.com
How to work with rolled Buttercream:
ROLLED BUTTERCREAM is of great interest to many decorators as it’s smooth surface is ideal for decorating & gives cakes an elegant look. The rolled buttercream is sweet and very pliable. It is a firm dough that you can mold, shape and etc. versus regular buttercream that you can spread. It is equal parts of Karo and Crisco and without milk, butter or egg white/meringue powder. You will find that it is a softer covering than Fondant. I would highly recommend practicing working with it as much as you can before you cover an actual cake -- nothing is more frustrating than trying to work with something you're not familiar with. It takes practice to know how to roll the buttercream out evenly and how to place it smoothly and evenly. I like to bake pound cakes from a mix, cut them in half or in quarters width-wise and use them for practice.
Rolled buttercream is similar to Rolled Fondant, but with less work and a better taste. (It has a taste similar to Tootsie Rolls.) It is a thickened buttercream usually with some powdered sugar to make it more pliable.
Rolled buttercream is rolled out and draped over a cake. The cake is first covered with a very thin layer of buttercream icing, and the rolled buttercream is laid on top. It is also used to shape flowers with, make borders from and emboss as well. Some people say one is easier than the other, but its all a matter of preference.
Make tie-dye Rolled Buttercream to cover a cake with: To make, first, roll the buttercream into a log and flattened it down enough that it will fold back over itself. Pick the colors and put them in a narrow stripe, about 4-inch intervals from the middle to the edge. Fold the buttercream back over itself and then roll. Within a few minutes, you'll see the most beautiful colors! If you roll all the colors together, they'll turn gray.
Rolled buttercream leaves a shiny look rather than a matte surface like Fondant, and you have to dust repeatedly with sugar-cornstarch mixture to dull the shine.
Rolled buttercream can be tinted as needed with paste or gel colors.
The negatives of using rolled buttercream are: Although Rolled buttercream is easier/faster to make than Fondant, and tastes a little better, it is softer (even after adding a lot of sugar than the recipe calls for!) and not as strong as Fondant; it is hard to pick up and place on the cake because it tears and stretches too easily.
I recommend adding more confectioners' sugar to strengthen it. Some recommend using half rolled buttercream and half Rolled Fondant. I have heard that some have even better luck when using 25% buttercream and 75% Rolled Fondant.
If using 100% rolled buttercream, it has to be rolled out on heavy plastic, then inverted over the cake and peeled off. However, if it does tear and stretch, rolled buttercream stays soft so it can be repaired easily. Rolled buttercream is also tempermental, especially in warm, humid weather. And, after awhile on the cake at room temperature, it softens and starts sliding down the sides a little.
Determine how big you need to roll buttercream to, so you can cover your cake. Roll to approximately 1/4" to 3/8" thick to cover a smoothly buttercream iced cake.
Cake size
Amount of fondant/rolled buttercream
6"x 4" round.............................. 3/4 package = 18 oz.
8"x 4"........................................1 package = 24 oz.
10"x 4"......................................1-1/4 pkg. = 30 oz.
12"x 4"......................................1-1/2 pkg. = 46 oz.
14"x 4"......................................2 pkgs. = 48 oz.
16"x 4"......................................3 pkgs. = 72 oz
1) Measure the height of one side; multiply by 2.
2) Add the diameter of cake.
For example, an 8" round 2-layer cake would be approximately 4 inches in height. So, 4" x 2 = 8", plus 8" diameter = 16". You would need to roll out a circle of icing at least 16" across to cover the cake completely.
And finally, here's a chart from Wilton to determine the approximate # of packages of their prepared rolled fondant needed to cover different sized round cakes. The ounce amount should be pretty much the same for rolled buttercream.
After Making, "How to Apply" Rolled Buttercream:
Store tightly wrapped in double plastic bags in the refrigerator. Allow to age at least 2-3 days. It may be kept, tightly wrapped for several weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.
To prepare the cake, layer & trim top edge so it is rounded. Crumb coat lightly with regular buttercream, 1 or 2 coats. Be sure it is smooth, as any imperfections will show thru the rolled icing.
Remove room temperature icing from bag and knead for several minutes. Roll out between sheets of plastic (or on a counter or board dusted with a mixture of powdered sugar & cornstarch.) Be sure to lift & turn, redusting icing frequently to avoid sticking. Dust rolling pin, also.
Roll until approximately 1/4" to 3/8" thick & large enough to cover top & sides of cake. Freeze for 5 minutes.
Flip over & remove bottom plastic. Pick up top plastic with icing on it, turn over carefully & center over crumb coated cake. Carefully start to peel plastic away from icing. Fullness around sides can usually be worked out or cut off & smoothed with your hands. If the icing should tear, just put a small piece over the hole & blend with your hand. If the rolled buttercream is too shiny for your liking, "puff" it with powdered sugar.
Rolled fondant tips—can use rolled buttercream instead: http://www.baking911.com/decorating/cakes_fondantrolled.htm
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frances
8 posts
Nov 25, 2008
7:45 AM
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umm, that does sound tasty! my cake decorating skills aren't what I'd like - I can't seem to overcome the "practicing" part with the "there's only two of use, and we can only eat so much 'practice'" part! :) I'm forever toying with the idea of taking a local cake decorating class, though.
do you think this buttercream would mix in the bosch (w/ dough hook)? That's all i've got, as far as heavy-duty kitchen equipment.
Speaking of, do you use the beaters in your bosch? I've found, for the last two times (cake frosting and mashed potatoes (lol, with parsley root!)) that my beaters start making a squealing noise after a little while? bf thinks they get weighted down w/ food and scrape against the bowl? just curious if it happens to you.
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Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
2413 posts
Nov 25, 2008
10:04 AM
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I don't make alot of cookies, and I have a KitchenAid, too. I usually use the KitchenAid for cookies. But you can get a pair of heavy duty cookie paddles for your Bosch for under $25:
http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-Cookie-Paddles-set-shown/dp/B000FTAE6Q
You can get them at most of the links on my page here:
http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/page/702617.htm#bosch
which sell Bosch machines, too.
In Canada you can get them here:
http://www.kitchenhelp.ca/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=361&category_id=3&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1
and here:
http://www.rwglobal.com/~healthykitchens/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1179&zenid=e71f57c19d5dcf5e18802a113280b59e
I might just order them myself!
Last Edited on 25-Nov-2008 10:09 AM
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JulieH
437 posts
Nov 30, 2008
4:08 PM
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Frances, I've also noticed that some of the organic shortening is gritty. I have some from Whole Foods (365 Brand), and another that's Spectrum. Both are made from Palm Fruit oil, and both have a grittiness to them. So weird!
I wish I could tell you why it's like that, but I have no clue.
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Linda
719 posts
Dec 04, 2008
11:30 AM
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when I used to buy the Spectrum it was never gritty. It got gritty when it got old. Perhaps the expiry dates should be double checked ? And maybe use it up quickly.
It also shouldn't be refrigerated because of the same issue -- it'll get sandy.
Frances, was yours older or did you fridge it?
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kourtney
187 posts
Dec 06, 2008
6:58 PM
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Here's the info on Spectrum's sourcing: http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=269.
I keep it in the fridge and pretty much just use it to grease pans, so no idea on the grittiness.
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JulieH
438 posts
Dec 09, 2008
8:05 AM
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Hi Linda. The shortening is new, so I'm guessing that it's something inherent to the palm fruit shortening.
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frances
10 posts
Dec 16, 2008
1:04 PM
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my shortening wasn't old - the jungle brand was the brand that got really gritty on me - but yeah, I fridged it. it got gritty after 'unfridging' it but it's still fine for oiling pans and such.
that, and the *occasional* cake frosting is all I use shortening for (oh, yeah, and the *occasional* batch of drop biscuits), so there's no way I could use it up quickly. my spectrum isn't exactly lumpy/gritty, it just has some pieces that resist incorporating completely in cake frosting. (no big deal, if it's not dark-colored frosting! :)
Remind me why I'm putting up with this again - is palm shortening much healthier than crisco (which no longer has any trans fats, right?)
(And on a related topic - I just bought a gigantic tub of Earth Balance (same version I always get) that's as hard as a rock! Have they changed recipe or do I just have horrible tub-of-fat luck???)
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Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
2419 posts
Dec 17, 2008
3:34 PM
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The only reason it's healthier than Crisco is that does not contain trans fats-- it's still saturated fat. There are also some controversy about using palm shortening for ecological reasons, but I have to research that more. I try to use it as little as possible, and I use Earth balance original for frostings and cookies.
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