If you want real vanilla essence without the price, you should make your own. Turns out it's as easy as pie to make -- okay, easier than pie to make. Problem is, it won't be clear like the imitation Wilton stuff. It will be the natural color of the vanilla bean, brown. Wilton recommends the clear stuff because it won't interfere with the coloring of your icing. The natural vanilla color will interfere with your food colors.
Crisco is by definition a hydrogenated oil, which is a transfat.
As for butter having the same consistency, no it won't. Butter will change consistency with temperature, so if you have the right temp, you'll get the same consistency. Wilton wants you to have the same consistency, especially while learning, which is why Crisco is used for that. Once you get the techniques down, you can experiment with icings that will work for what you want to do.
Just an aside... I use natural food colorings from India Tree and they are superb. |