88. VARIETIES OF ICINGS.--Icings are of two varieties: those which
require cooking and those whose ingredients are not cooked. In uncooked
icings, which are easily made, sugar, such as confectioner's, is
moistened with a liquid of some kind and then flavored in various ways.
The more common of the cooked varieties are made by beating a hot sugar
sirup into well-beaten egg whites. After being flavored, icings of this
kind may be used without the addition of other ingredients or they may
be combined with fruits, nuts, coconut, etc.
89. UNCOOKED ICINGS.--Confectioner's sugar is the most satisfactory for
uncooked icings, and it is the kind most commonly used for this purpose.
The finer this sugar can be secured, the better will the icing be, XXXX
being the most desirable. As such sugar forms very hard lumps when it is
allowed to stand, it should be rolled and sifted before it is mixed with
the other ingredients. The material used to moisten the sugar may be
lemon juice or some other fruit juice, water, milk, cream, egg white,
butter, or a combination of these. Enough liquid should be used to make
the icing thin enough to spread easily.
90. The ingredients used in uncooked icings determine to a certain
extent the utensils required to make the icings. A fine-mesh wire sifter
should be used to sift the sugar. A bowl of the proper size to mix the
materials should be selected, and a wooden spoon should also be secured
for this purpose, although a silver spoon will answer if a wooden one is
not in supply. To spread the mixture on the cake, a silver knife
produces the best results. If the icing is to be put on in ornamental
way, the equipment already mentioned, that is, a pastry bag or a paper
cornucopia, should be provided.