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Base of rose melting?

post #1 of 13
3/30/05 at 1:28pm
Thread Starter 
Lately, now as an instructor, I have had my rose base not hold up, getting soft while I'm attaching the petals. (Using basic Wilton buttercream recipe). Before I had no problems with this. The base and my petals are from the same stiff icing batch. The only thing I can think of is the heat from my hand is conducted thru the metal flower nail and softening up the base.

Any suggestions?
Amy
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Amy
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post #2 of 13
3/30/05 at 4:30pm
Wow! Never heard of that happening. My instinct would be to agree with you on why... but that seems so far fetched. Can you use a Hershey Kiss in your class?
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post #3 of 13
3/30/05 at 6:46pm
I never heard of the hersheys kiss till yesterday. Tanya also suggested using a gum drop! Cool ideas!!!! That's what we're all here for! To help one another!
"Learn from a turtle... it only makes progress when it sticks it's neck out"
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"Learn from a turtle... it only makes progress when it sticks it's neck out"
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post #4 of 13
3/30/05 at 10:23pm
Amylou, cali4dawn...I often wondered about the nail heating up while using it, so I started using 2. I believe that is does heat up to some degree and switching has helped.
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post #5 of 13
3/30/05 at 11:10pm
AMYLOU you have done better than I have with Wilton basic BC recipe...its always too soft to do anything...except the frosting of the cake...then I find it too stiff to spread nicley, and smoothly.....what shortening do you use? I use the sticks because we dont have the smaller containers of reg crisco and the big one I would never get rid of.
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post #6 of 13
4/5/05 at 3:53pm
Thread Starter 
I use the sticks too. I think it was a combo of the icing warming in my hand as I'm squeezing the bag, and the nail warming.
Amy
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Amy
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post #7 of 13
4/5/05 at 4:09pm
Amylou,

I think it's the heat from your hands too. I'm sure you are a little nervous to be teaching now & you have a lot on your mind so you are making more body heat. It's gotta be hot hands. I have that problem too. I have a bowl with about 6 pieces of ice in it & keep my bags in it when I have a lot of roses to do. Sometimes is make the icing too thick that's when I just lay the bag on the table for a few min. Works like a charm!

~TC~
"Learn from a turtle... it only makes progress when it sticks it's neck out"
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"Learn from a turtle... it only makes progress when it sticks it's neck out"
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post #8 of 13
4/6/05 at 10:59am
Amylou - As an instructor myself - I've found that when teaching the rose - I bring my own icing - because the course 1 students aren't really familiar with consistencies -I've found that bringing my own I'm guaranteed to have the right stiffness needed for roses. I do make my icing extra firm for "rose" nights and use my own just for the base (base stands right up)and use a students for the petals because theirs will be softer and the petals will be smoother. Hope this helps. thumbs_up.gif
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Live well, love much, laugh often.
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post #9 of 13
4/6/05 at 11:04am
Thread Starter 
BJ... I always bring my own icing too for instruction. I just don't agree with that concept...and yes, YOU know what your consistency is going to be. I have found that if a student doesn't have the right consistency and is having a hard time with a technique, I will let them use my bag for a couple so they can see how the consistency makes the difference.
Amy
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Amy
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post #10 of 13
4/6/05 at 11:05am
Amylou - another thought - I've found that when using the 1/2 shortening-1/2 butter recipe it seems to break down faster with regards to ANY heat. I use the full shortening recipe for any borders/flowers. It doesn't seam to be as sensitive to heat. I only use the butter recipe for icing the cake (taste better I think). icon_rolleyes.gif
Live well, love much, laugh often.
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Live well, love much, laugh often.
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post #11 of 13
4/6/05 at 11:15am
As much as I love my icing... I even cut back on butter when making roses. My icing is normally 1.5 cups butter to 1 cup shortening. For roses I switch it around or even go to .5 butter to 2 shortening. Makes a huge difference!
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post #12 of 13
4/6/05 at 2:01pm
i agree with tcturtleshell, i worked at the grocery store making cakes for 4 1/2 years and we had premade icing come in to use so it was always the same consistency. the longer i worked, the more humid it was, the more nervous i was, the worse my roses turned out. depending on how much icing is in your bag, a "quick fix" is to just squeeze out some until you feel it cool down ... you'd be amazed how warm your hands make the icing. hope this helps alittle, good luck!! thumbs_up.gif
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Love makes the wildest spirit tame, and the tamest spirit wild.
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post #13 of 13
4/7/05 at 2:41am
Hmm.. Well, I had a hard time in class getting the center of the buttercream roses to stay up and not fall over. You could make a bunch of them and chill them and then put them back on the nail (with the waxed paper and a dollop of frosting under) and do them after they are cooled a bit. I think maybe just a bit stiffer icing would help, too. Probably it's the temperature rising this Spring that's making it soften up too much and we have to use even stiffer icing or chill the centers. I made some roses with hershey kiss centers that came out GREAT! If you get a bag of Hugs - the white chocolate ones, they won't show as much and let all the students try those. It's a tip from a Wilton forum, after all. icon_smile.gif

Best wishes!
~AngelWendy
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