Cream attachments: what are there and how to use them?

Pastry tips are an important element in the hands of a professional pastry chef. Modern products are varied in shape, material of manufacture, method of application. On sale, they are in sets or by the piece.

It is difficult to imagine pastries with cream without the usual patterns of flowers, leaves and ornaments. Custard & Pastry Bag Cooking Tools lets you create patterns to decorate your cake. Classic cake decorating tips are usually an addition to your regular piping bag. And also these parts are often in a set with a special syringe.

Both options are used in the work of pastry chefs or housewives. A sweet mass is placed inside a syringe or bag, which is then squeezed onto the surface of cakes, cupcakes, eclairs through a cone-shaped nozzle.

Creamy jewelry is obtained thanks to the different sizes of shapes and diameters of the attachments. In addition, manufacturers produce plastic or stainless steel nozzles. The latter are welded or cast. The option with a connecting seam does not impair the quality of the jewelry, but only if it is from a bona fide manufacturer... If this seam is not properly finished, the cream pattern will acquire additional unnecessary stripes.

Therefore, buying attachments from online stores is often discouraged. The product must be examined carefully, especially from the inside.If the surface of the nozzle is smooth, you can safely purchase one for work.

The subtleties of choosing nozzles for cream are important both for amateurs who are engaged in the manufacture of cakes and pastries for households, and for professionals.

There are many types of attachments, but professionals distinguish several basic ones that can be used for numerous patterns. The following is an overview of popular fixtures.

"Leaf" or "Petal" - a nozzle that forms the decor corresponding to the name, as well as original borders for cakes and cupcakes. The attachments are handy for adding various details that are suitable for decorating baskets and cupcakes. It is convenient to work with the nozzle, having independently determined the relief and inclination of the part. The element is of two main types.

• If it has a V-shaped tip, then the leaf will be smooth. Usually the element is made thicker at the base, but thinner towards the end.
• If the "Leaf" nozzle has a tiny cut in the middle, then with its help you can get a more embossed detail.

"Ruches" - are presented in a wide variety and give many options for the implementation of various ideas. With the help of this type of attachments, professionals create rather realistic draperies, lambrequins and bows. Elements form the borders of the cakes, and the decorations are distinguished by deep and expressive corrugation. The details are used to weave cream baskets, as well as to create individual floral elements.

"Sultan" - this attachment belongs to the class of special and is suitable for planting meringues, cookies, marshmallows. The structure consists of two metal cones, one of which is firmly fixed inside. Thanks to the solution, the outer side of the deposited element is ribbed, and the inner side is smooth. The nozzle is quite impressive in size, it may not fit ordinary pastry bags.

"Sphere" are also special attachments that are ideal for creating decorations on cupcakes. A round and large nozzle is used to make beautiful hats and flowers on cakes, gingerbread and cookies.

"Astra" is a special series that allows you to create flower buds in one move. Flowers are produced quickly and easily thanks to several geometric elements. For example, 9 slots in the nozzle allow you to create an identical number of petals at the same time. The element can be performed with any cream, it is suitable for use by novice craftsmen.

"Chrysanthemum" - this option allows you to make rounded petals. When used correctly, the petals are concave, semicircular. The products are also suitable for creating daisies and gerberas. Professionals often use options of different sizes to create ruffles or borders.

"Grass" is an inventory that, in the hands of a pastry chef, allows you to create the effect of a glade from any cream on the surface of the baking. The element is also suitable for decorating animals with wool. Grass attachments differ in the number and type of holes. Usually, 7 to 19 elements are provided, with a diameter of 1-2 mm. There are options where the holes are made in the form of stars.

In general, flowers and various "hats" on cakes can be made with ordinary items from the basic set, which are called open or closed "stars". These are the most important parts as they are commonly used attachments.

Among all the variety of attachments, it is difficult to choose the right ones for the job, especially for a novice pastry chef. Professionals advise to abandon the use of plastic confectionery nozzles at the initial stage. They are often small and are notable for the poor expressiveness of the relief of the resulting patterns.

Pastry nozzles it is better to purchase by the piece. A set is not needed at the initial stage, since all the elements are unlikely to be needed in use. Professionals skillfully use 2-3 basic nozzles, the rest are just invented to help beginners. As practice shows, many attachments simply gather dust in the closet, and the money was spent on them.

Of all the attachments it is worth choosing basic ones that form a rose petal, chrysanthemums and leaves. The first option forms an open or closed petal, and also differs in the size of the slot.

It is important to choose a convenient pastry bag for the attachments, it is preferable if you choose between it and a syringe. The inventory is more convenient due to the size. It holds more cream. In use, the bag is better, since the squeezing force can be controlled. The culinary tool fits almost any attachment that can be used without a special adapter.

Particularly popular with disposable pastry bags, which are convenient to use with attachments of various sizes. Simply the tip of the bag can be cut to the desired diameter. By the way, the strength of disposable pastry bags is different, and you need to choose here by the number of microns. If the equivalent is 10-15 units - the bags are fragile, from 100 units - very strong, of good quality.

Good disposable bags are expensive, so many tend to buy reusable products.

The pastry bag for the cream is made in the form of a cone, usually made of waterproof fabric. To work correctly, the existing nozzle must first be inserted into the bag, and then the tip must be cut off from it. This procedure is often performed after filling the bag, which allows you to keep the liquid cream inside the culinary inventory.

To prevent the edges of the inventory from getting dirty on the outside, it must be put on the arm with the wide part, and then filled with a scraper or spatula. Enough filling the bag by a third, and the cream must be pushed closer to the nozzle before planting.

Products in the form of a shell or marshmallow are deposited strictly in the center, in an even movement from start to finish. After stopping, some decorations require a semicircle, at the end of which a "tail" is also formed.

It is better to use nozzles for "roses" with oil creams. They are more flexible and suitable for a beginner's work. The flower collected from butter cream can be put in the freezer for a while. The element will retain its good shape, it will be more convenient to transfer it to the cake. Butter blanks are allowed to be frozen for future use, which is done in the mass production of cakes and pastries. You can decorate the cake with roses made from protein cream. This element must not be frozen; it must be immediately transferred to the cake with a knife, fork or scissors.

The main thing is the right cream and patience. For a cake to look good, decorating it will take a long time. There are not so many types of creams suitable for decorating. Important qualities of a sweet decoration are good plasticity and resistance to high temperatures.

Butter, protein custard and butter creams have the specified parameters. Butter cream is most widespread both in home and industrial cooking. Products made from it differ in budgetary terms, but with a longer shelf life. Not everyone likes the taste of such sugary sweets. In home cooking, whipped cream is more often used, the taste of which is considered more delicate and sophisticated. Decorations made from this sweet are very attractive.

For an overview of pastry nozzles, see below.