Julie - A few more thoughts about Crisco, etc

Julie ~ Do you have access to any vegetable Shortening where you are? Crisco is simply a solid vegetable shortening. Many of us in the US call all vegetable shortening "Crisco." If you do have vegetable shortening, you would have the freedom to use an icing made with vegetable shortening (aka Crisco).

More thoughts about piping with buttercream icing... butter has a lower melting point than vegetable shortening. If you use buttercream icing, you might be alert that the body heat from your hands could melt (or break down) the buttercream icing in your piping tube. You might put less in your cone than usual, and not hold on to the cone for long period of times.

Bye for now. Kel

If you make the buttercream icing, be sure that the butter is soft enough to cream with the other ingredients. Let butter stand at room temperature until softened but still cool. Butter that is too soft or melted will result in a frosting that doesn't have a creamy texture.