Using shortening in this recipe instead of real butter makes the frosting much more stable and long-lasting for cookies that are going to sit out a while before consumption.
1 cup Butter-Flavored or Golden Crisco ( solid vegetable shortening )
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 fluid ounces heavy cream
gel or paste food coloring (optional)
Cream shortening until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional cream a teaspoon at a time if necessary to achieve the right consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy. If desired, divide frosting into several small bowls and stir in food coloring to create various colors of buttercream frosting.
Variations:
For a pure white frosting, use white shortening and clear vanilla.
For a whiter colored frosting that uses real butter but still holds up well at room temperature, use 1/2 cup white shortening and 1/2 cup unsalted butter.
cookie baker in kentucky Dec 18, 2007
Would not make this again.
this recipe was horrible and goopy. the other posters obviously dont know their frosting from a hole in the ground. horrible i tell you and i still have nightmares about it.
A cookie baker in Canada Dec 16, 2007
Would not make this again.
I would not make this buttercream icing again, especially with vegetable shortening, that was disgusting. Maybe with butter it would have tasted better. Next time I would go for taste over looks.
Emily in Indiana, PA Dec 13, 2007
Would make this again.
SO Good! I might use a little more heavy cream or add a little butter just to take away some of the sugar taste and get more of a butter taste, but I'm no baker and I'm not sure if the icing will set if I do that. As per this recipe, the icing sets perfectly, I got rave reviews at my work holiday party - this recipe is great!!
A cookie baker Nov 24, 2007
Would make this again.
Was delicious ad i absolutely loved it i used it on all of my cookies and a cake
A cookie baker Nov 21, 2007
Would make this again.
very very good but the only thing was it didnt turn out as thick as i wanted it too but i will make this my number one frosting!!!!
Karen Nov 12, 2007
Would make this again.
Obviously the first poster has a few issues. There is nothing wrong with this recipe.
Definitely something for which one needs a large bowl and machine mixer.
:-)
A cookie baker in France Oct 25, 2007
Would not make this again.
was a dreadful buttercream icing!! i've tasted better ones, this one was dispicable!!! I warn anyone else who is going to try it to not bother with this one...as it was absolute rubbish!
...thanks for nothing!
A cookie baker in New York Dec 11, 2006
Would make this again.
Delicious! Didn't understand if the recipe meant that the heavy cream & the food coloring paste were both optional or just the food coloring! I didn't have either, so I just added a little bit of milk & liquid food coloring & it turned out great! Easy to make too!
A cookie baker in rochester , mn Dec 9, 2006
Would make this again.
It is the BEST frosting ever!!!!!!!!!!
A cookie baker in New York Dec 3, 2006
Would make this again.
EASY and YUMMY!!!!
I made Christmas sugar cookies last night with 2 of my Daughters, my Mother and my Granddaughter. This is the icing recipe that we used. It is the best!!! I think we all ate way more icing than we used on the cookies. It's delicious. The butter Crisco and the heavy cream make it so smooth and creamy and absolutely delicious.
I will definitely use this recipe again. I recommend it! Thank you!!!
