Tips for working with a Pastry/Frosting Bag

Filling a Pastry/Frosting Bag

• Cuff bag top over one hand while using your other hand to scoop in icing with spatula.
• Don’t fill bag more than ½ way full of frosting.
• Unfold cuff and twist top of bag closed, forcing icing down into bag and decorating tip.
• Release air bubbles before decorating by holding bag over icing bowl and squeezing until air is released.
• If decorating with children, it is helpful to place a rubber-band tightly around the top of the bag (where twisted) to prevent frosting from being squeezed out the wrong end (see below).
• Frosting bags, tips, couplers, coloring and decorations may be purchased from most craft or Internet on-line stores.

Rubber Bands

Help keep the frosting in the bag! Initially I used rubber bands on the ends of my frosting bags so my kids wouldn't get frosting everywhere (squeezing out the wrong end). However, now I use rubber bands on the ends of ALL my frosting bags. Why?

• It's easy to grab the bag and not have to push the frosting towards the tip
• It's easy to toss the bag on the table and frosting doesn't go everywhere
• The frosting doesn't dryout around the edges of the bag (and get all over the table when the bag gets put down)
• It's easy - fill your bag with frosting, twist the top as you normally would, and twist a rubber band around the end
• Rubberbands work with either the "feather-weight" bags or "disposable bags". And, a MUST if decorating with children or "first-timers"!

Freezer Bags - the easy way for kids

This is a great hint that I got from my sister (and her MOPS group).

• Purchase pint-size zip-lock freezer bags, snip off the corner of the bag, fill with frosting, zip-lock closed, and wa-la you have an instant frosting bag for kids and the frosting doesn't get squeezed out the wrong end! (Plus it's economical).