Icing Sugar

[matmob]

I read an old thread in which people were lamenting the fact that their TM made icing sugar was grainy.  I have also experienced this, so had given up making it.  However, I happened to glance at the ingredients of bought icing sugar and noticed it had Tapioca Starch in it.  So I am going to try it with some of that added.  Will post further after I have tried it.

[judydawn]

matmob, will be interested to hear how your experiment goes.

At a recent Tenina cooking class, she gave us this hint for perfect icing sugar -

Grind/cool/grind/cool. Do this 10 times so that it is not gritty. Apparently this is how commercial icing sugar is made.

[Wonder]

That sounds like a good tip Judy, I'll have to give it a go.

[Bethwood]

I was going to try what Judy suggested. I'm fairly certain corn flour etc is only added to keep it from clumping.

[achookwoman]

Pure icing sug doesn't have anything in it.  It is the soft one that has something added.  I thought it was cornflour.  But could be wrong.

[~[fruity]~]

When making icing sugar from raw sugar for glace icing I notice it goes a murky brown colour, is this usual?

[chrissa]

I used to make and decorate wedding cakes.  

You use pure icing sugar when you want the icing to go hard.  Soft icing sugar has tapioca added to make it stay soft ( for example when you decorate cup cakes or a butter cake)

If a recipe says icing sugar, I use soft icing sugar. I only use the pure when I'm making fondant or decorations to adorn the top or sides of cakes.

[goldfish]

When making icing sugar from raw sugar for glace icing I notice it goes a murky brown colour, is this usual?

Fruity - mine does the same . . .if you want white, then I should imagine you'd have to use white sugar.

[goldfish]

 

You use pure icing sugar when you want the icing to go hard.  Soft icing sugar has tapioca added to make it stay soft ( for example when you decorate cup cakes or a butter cake)

If a recipe says icing sugar, I use soft icing sugar. I only use the pure when I'm making fondant or decorations to adorn the top or sides of cakes.

Thanks for this, chrissa.  Will keep this in mind.  Is it possible to make your own soft icing sugar?

[chrissa]

I've never tried to make my own soft icing sugar.  I just have both in the pantry.  I don't use the pure very often only if I'm making royal icing and that's not very often these days. 

I use CSR sugars and the packet of soft icing sugar says its 4% tapioca or maize flour.

[goldfish]

Thanks chrissa.....