High ratio shortening

[LotusCakeStudio]

Exactly what is it? I know it's shortening, but what's added or removed from it? Can anyone provide an ingredient list? Also, how is it different in icing? In my vegan icing recipe, I use Crisco in place of part of the margarine b/c the margarine is very yellow. The taste is pretty good all things considered, but I am always looking to improve it. I read that high ratio shortening is "better" than regular shortening in icings, but I never found out how it's better. Can you replace regular shortening with high ratio weight for weight? And where can I find it?

Thanks,
Vedika

[m brown]

Hydrogination is a chemical process that makes liquid oil solid and keep its form at high temperatures.
It is nasty stuff if you use it exclusivly,
it does not melt in your mouth rather it coats it,
along with your digestive system and other internal organs. eeewww


Used wisely, patially hydoginated shorting and high ratio shortening can be very helpful in creating a beautiful product. I use a portion of high ratio shortening to my butter cream in the summer months and in general to keep the colour light and helps the butter cream from melting to soup.In pie dough I use a portion of Hi-ratio shortening with butter for a flaky and flavorful crust.

I also found the brand Sweetex has a more subtle flavor than crisco.

High ratio means it can hold more liquid and sugar than a crisco or butter in cake, icing and other baking formulas.

Hope this answers some questions~

[momoreg]

This has been a topic of discussion here in the past. Here's a thread that might help...

http://www.cheftalkcafe.com/forums/s...tio+shortening

[thebighat]

Sweetex has mono and di-glycerides, micro emulsifiers, which allow you to add more liquid to something sweetex. But, if you notice, I think the can of crisco lists the same ingredients. I suppose it would make a difference in a cake batter to switch, but maybe not in a buttercream with crisco subbing for sweetex. How much liquid does one put in anyway?

[W.DeBord]

In frostings, for me it's not the amount of liquid I can add. The advantage to sweetex is how firm it remains in heat, which is important in the summer. I can't taste a difference but I can feel a difference.

Crisco is smoother, lighter and softer. It's like you can add more xxxsugar to the crisco. With sweetex you reach the point where your frosting doesn't want more xxxsugar. You can add alot more compound or flavoring and the sweetex doesn't get soft on you like the crisco will.

[W.DeBord]

I'm posting for Lotus, her computor won't let her post here and she's got more questions.

From Lotus: "Can you use less 10x sugar with Sweetex? For instance, I use a pretty basic recipe for the vegan buttercream- just a bite off of a normal American buttercream recipe: 8 oz. vegan margarine, 8 oz. Crisco, flavorings, fine salt, starch, alittle water (maybe 2 T.at the most) and 2# 10X. If I replace the crisco with high ratio shrotening, could I add less 10X? B/c that would be a dream. I've read that high ratio shortening is less plastic and less greasy. Any truth to this? Also, any difference between brands? I've heard of both Sweetex and Alpine. If I can't find the stuff on my own, I can buy some from my boss as I just noticed that that is what they use for icings (alpine). I was thinking to ask the head baker about high ratio shortening, but he's gone before I come in. (He's also one of those old men lechorous types I pride myself in avoiding).


mbrown, I agree that hydrgenated oil is gross. I don't eat it myself. It's just for the non-dairy customers. I wish I could lessen the amount I used in my vegan icing, but anything less than 50/50 leaves it so yellow. I once tried to lighten it with white coloring paste and I had to add quite a bit just to get it ivory (instead of pastel yellow). If I'm tinting the icing a different color or adding cocoa powder or espresso powder, I can do 3 parts margarine and 1 part shortening and it is Soooo much better taste wise. Imwas even thinking of buying an airbrush just to spray cakes any color I want so I won't have to tint the whole batch of icing or fondant, especially in situations like this. Hehe, then at least I would have a consistant color between the teirs on multi-tier cakes!

Thanks,

And one more time: AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRgh!

[LotusCakeStudio]

Just checking to see if this works and to thank W. for posting that^ for me.

[LotusCakeStudio]

Well well! Look who's able to post again!

Today I was feeling adventurous and I dug around the disgusting mouse infested kitchen at work. I pulled out all the 50# cubes of assorted hydrogenated oil and lo' and behold, there was a box of Sweetex hiding. I scooped off about a 1/2" of the surface to get to the untouched stuff underneath and took a pint of it home to try out. I'll put it to the ultimate challenge and make pumpkin icing!

[LotusCakeStudio]

Update:
I finally made a batch of vegan icing replacing the Crisco for Sweetex. I added 1 pound of 10x and combined, then just as I was about to add the rest of the next pound of 10x, I held some back just to see what happened. It came out just fine! I think I reserved about 2 - 3 ounces which helped with that sickly sweet factor this type of icing is famous for. And no kidding you can add a lot of liquid to this stuff. The icing was soooooo much smoother and softer. Wee hee! My goal of improving this recipe has been acheived! Thanks again to everyone for their input!

[annie]

and thanks for an interesting topic. I work in a restaurant kitchen, and never understood this high ratio stuff.

the restaurant kitchen is mouse infested too! Ever since the restaurant got mentioned in a Fox news story, we've had mouse guys come in every other week - but they seem to catch very few of my little furry buddies! One one hand, that's a good thing - on the other two hands, mouse poo on the shelves is gross, and one evening one died in spilled caramel, under teh stove, at my feet. Beond horrible.

[angrychef]

You can also add non-dairy topping to the buttercream to loosen it. I prefer it instead of water or milk.