Page 33 - IntraMuros November 2021
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LIFESTYLE



            very summer, all the succulents in
            our  gardens,  on  our  windowsills
       Eand  in  our  planter  boxes  explode
        into life. Summer and all the life it brings
        should  be  celebrated  and  what  better
        way  than  with  a  scrumptious  cupcake
        adorned  with  captivating  cacti  that
        look ready to soak up the summertime
        sunshine?

        While the intricate-looking cupcakes may
        look prickly to pipe, prodigy piper, Grace
        Stevens is here to share her top tips on
        how to get pinpoint perfect succulents to
        adorn your summer table spreads.

        PERFECT ICING CONSISTENCY
        The  consistency  of  your  buttercream
        is  super  important  to  get  right  or  your
        culinary  garden  can  quickly  become  a
        delicious but disappointing mess. If you
        have  followed  the  instructions  of  your
        icing recipe but something still isn’t quite
                                                  SUCCULENT SUMMER
        right – there are a few steps you can take.

        If your buttercream is too stiff, and you
        are  struggling  to  extrude  it  from  your             CUPCAKES
        nozzle, mix a little milk or water into the
        buttercream  until  it  is  spreadable  like   Tips for piping scrumptious confectionary succulents
        peanut butter.


        If  the  buttercream  is  too  soft,  and  you
        find you have very little control over the
        extrusion speed – try giving it a rest for
        30 minutes in the fridge. Sometimes, the
        heat of your hands can cause the butter
        in  the  icing  to  liquefy.  Cooling  it  in  the
        fridge  helps  the  butter  to  re-solidify  so
        you have better control over your form.
        If I’m piping lots of succulents on a short
        timeline,  I’ll  always  use  more  than  one
        piping  bag  with  the  same  nozzle  and
        buttercream  and  alternate  using  each
        piping  bag  to  prevent  my  buttercream
        from getting too warm.

        It  is  also  important  to  make  sure  your
        icing  sugar  does  not  contain  an  anti-
        caking agent or cornflour. This is because
        the  viscosity  and  expansion  properties
        of  the  cornflour  –  the  way  it  reacts  to
        pressure  under  your  hand  –  make  it
        almost  impossible  to  get  a  proper  stiff
        buttercream. It is far better to use pure
        icing sugar for better control.


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