[Sca-cooks] Gingerbread creations...

[johnna holloway]

It's more than a question of recipes; it's a question of
1. Do you want the gingerbread to be eaten?
2. Safety of egg whites versus use of meringue powder.
   Salmonella concerns in the US have prompted the switch
   from possibly unsafe raw egg whites to commercial meringue
   powders. (I find them to be more durable over time too.)
3. How long do you want the construction to last? This will
   also depend on the weather. These icings can absorb water
   in humid conditions and almost weep...In areas of high
   humidity do not plan on making a house that far in advance.
   One other big tip is to use new decorating bags when piping
   royal icing. Any grease from a buttercream frosting that
   remains in a decorating bag can lead to the icing breaking down.
4. Do you have a mixer that can make "royal icing" without
   burning up? Portable mixers will not do it. This mixture
   proves to be too much for even most standard home mixers.
   I can recommend Kitchen Aid highly for being a mixer that
   can be used for making royal icing.

You may want to assemble a mini cabin or small house with a small
trial batch of icing and gingerbread prior to starting on the big
major project. This would give you a feel for the project and you
can see how the icing stands up to actual use.

See www.wilton.com for cake decorating supplies.
also see http://www.sweetc.com/sweetc.htm for Sweet Celebrations.

If there is a Cake Decorating magazine published in your area, then
check the ads in it for other dealers and stores. One international
title from the UK is Cake Craft and Decoration. It's available in the
US and Canada. See http://www.craftstart.co.uk/inf_magazines3.htm for
more information.

Hope this helps.
Johnnae llyn Lewis
Johnna Holloway

Susan Laing wrote:
>
> Question to the list (actually two of them :-p)
>
> When creating Gingerbread creations, what is the best recipe for "Royal
> Icing" to use?  (I've got recipes that differ - one calling for Icing sugar
> & Lemon juice; the other for Icing sugar; egg whites & Tartaric Acid) and
> what is their expectent lifespan? (ie I start making the creation on date X
> - must be eaten by this date before icing goes bad)
>
> 2nd question - anyone know of any good Online stockists for decorating
> candies?? (zip all available in Brisbane - only silver sugar balls; pastel
> sugar dots & mini m&m's)
>
> :-)
>
> mari
>
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