Using a pastry bag, you can decorate a cake or pastries with cream, deposit soft dough or whipped protein products, decorate cupcakes or sweets. If your household does not have such an accessory, make a pastry bag yourself using available materials: paper, plastic bags and thick fabric.
There are many advantages to a homemade pastry bag. Such products are very convenient when you need to apply patterns and designs with creams of different colors. Instead of washing regular cloth bags, use cheap disposable bags made from plastic or paper. After finishing work, used accessories can be thrown away.
The easiest and quickest to change a pastry bag is a plastic bag. With its help, you can apply any cream, jam, batter on the surface of pies and cakes, as well as make borders and inscriptions with chocolate or sugar icing. If you need to depict simple stripes or slides, you can do without curly nozzles. Pick up a small bag of thin plastic, place the cream in it, and then carefully cut off one of the corners. The smaller the hole, the thinner the strip of cream will be.
Plastic bags with a zipper are very convenient to avoid getting your hands dirty.
Squeeze out the cream by holding the bag close to the surface of the product. By making circular or zigzag movements with your hand, you can draw monograms, spirals, and other shapes. If it is supposed to apply a complex pattern, it is better to outline its contours in advance with a toothpick.
An alternative to plastic is parchment paper rolls. They are more environmentally friendly, but they can quickly get wet from liquid cream. Such fillets can be used to decorate confectionery products with thick jam, protein or butter cream. Roll the parchment paper into a tight cone, fill with cream and cut off the tip. Instead of one large pound, make several small ones and fill them just before decorating the cake or pie.
For labeling with chocolate or cream, you can do without a bag. Use a large plastic syringe without a needle, the drawings will be clear and neat.
For more interesting star, leaf, or ruffle decorations, use curly nozzles. They need to be made of dense, non-soaking material. White photo paper will do. Cut it into narrow strips, roll it up into a small ring and secure with threads. Cut the edge of the nozzle with sharp scissors, giving it the desired shape. To depict the leaves, you need a nozzle with a wedge-shaped tip, fringes in the form of frills can be made with an oblique nozzle. To plant stars and flowers, you need a nozzle with teeth. Insert the blank into the cut edge of the paper cone and start decorating the confectionery.
If paper products seem uncomfortable to you, sew a piping bag out of thick fabric. This accessory can be washed, moreover, it is suitable for working with any kind of creams, batter, fruit puree. For sewing, choose heavy synthetic fabric or teak. Cut out a truncated cone and machine seams using the finest stitches. The seams must be on the outside, otherwise the cream will get into them.
Use an empty plastic bottle to make a comfortable attachment. Cut off its neck and insert it into the opening of the bag. Unscrew the cork and use a sharp clerical knife to cut an asterisk or other shape in the center. Screw the plug into place. Now you can fill the bag with cream and start decorating the cakes and pastries. After each use, wash the bag and attachments thoroughly in hot water and dish detergent, then dry and store.
