Wow! I didn't get any notifications of all these posts - sorry for not answering your questions quicker.
I use Antonia74 icing.
shiney - I divide the batch into portions based on my preplanned color palette and the areas to be covered. I color the full strength icing. Then I separate each color into two batches - one batch for outlining and the other for flooding, trying to judge how much of each is needed.
I put the full strength icings into piping bags fitted with the #2 or #3 tips and I stand them up in a container that has a folded, damp paper towel in the bottom. This keeps the icing from drying in the tips. Then I add water to the remaining batches until I can drizzle the icing back onto itself and it flattens out within 7 seconds as described in TracyLH's post. Then I transfer this "flood" icing to Wilton squeeze bottles, see linked photo.
I have used a small spoon or tapered spatula to smooth icing over large surfaces. For smaller areas and tight spaces, I prefer to use a toothpick.
There are some on the forum who use the squeeze bottles that have couplers built into the cap, which allow you to attach decorating tips to the bottle. I've never used them, but they seem neat. See below.
Feel free to ask us any questions you may have. CakeCentral is responsible for most of my cake and cookie education, so I am always eager to help others. My forum status may no longer say "newbie", but in my mind I'm still very new to all of this, having taken the Wilton Course I only this past April.
Kim
I use Antonia74 icing.
shiney - I divide the batch into portions based on my preplanned color palette and the areas to be covered. I color the full strength icing. Then I separate each color into two batches - one batch for outlining and the other for flooding, trying to judge how much of each is needed.
I put the full strength icings into piping bags fitted with the #2 or #3 tips and I stand them up in a container that has a folded, damp paper towel in the bottom. This keeps the icing from drying in the tips. Then I add water to the remaining batches until I can drizzle the icing back onto itself and it flattens out within 7 seconds as described in TracyLH's post. Then I transfer this "flood" icing to Wilton squeeze bottles, see linked photo.
I have used a small spoon or tapered spatula to smooth icing over large surfaces. For smaller areas and tight spaces, I prefer to use a toothpick.
There are some on the forum who use the squeeze bottles that have couplers built into the cap, which allow you to attach decorating tips to the bottle. I've never used them, but they seem neat. See below.
Feel free to ask us any questions you may have. CakeCentral is responsible for most of my cake and cookie education, so I am always eager to help others. My forum status may no longer say "newbie", but in my mind I'm still very new to all of this, having taken the Wilton Course I only this past April.
Kim
I used to do the same ole designs, now I really try to challenge myself each decorating session with new ideas, and that thread of fav cookie sites, has really inspired me to venture out!
