-
Subsitute for Crisco
Hi girls,
I am making a christening cake this week for my DD and want to make fondant icing using the marshmallow recipe (melt marshmallows, add icing sugar and knead together with Crisco on your hands). This becomes a rollable dough, but I gather that the Crisco (which is an American vegetable shortening with a butter-like consistency) is quite important in this process. I don't know that butter would do the same job (has too low a melting temperature), and I can't find Crisco anywhere. Copha is a vegetable shortening, but is solid, so won't do either.
Any thoughts?!
-
-
I normally use butter where there's a call for crisco but I'm not sure that would work for you. Have you thought of contacting a cake decorating store and purchasing their version of crisco? I wouldn't use ghee or butter in this case as it would be yellow. Maybe try copha? Make sure its softened though ;) Otherwise contact USA foods and see if they can express post you some :)
-
Crisco is quite solid as well... its not a butter like consistency, with a little work it becomes like a butter consistency. I haven't used Copha but DH has and used it when he worked in a bakery to make icing... and mock cream
-
Thanks girls!
I'm going to give copha a go then - I'll just soften it a bit in the microwave and give it a bit of a beat and then see if it works- if not, we'll be having a cake with normal butter icing!
The only thing I've ever used copha for is chocolate crackles!
Thanks for the suggestions!
-
Hello again!
Just wanted to let you all know how well the icing for my DD's christening cake turned out! It was the first time I had used "proper" icing (fondant) for my cake decorating and I was quite pleased with the result. I used the Copha instead of Crisco to grease my hands when kneading and the bench too. The recipe carried on like Crisco was such an important ingredient, but I think any shortening would have done the same job!
Thanks for your advice!
ETA - have just put up a picture in the gallery under cakes
