Wilton Decorating Basics: Course 1, Class 1

Hooray! I completed my first Wilton class. The classroom itself was small, with about 6 small butcher paper covered tables, although 2 of them were loaded with supplies used in other classes, so really only 4 tables to accommodate 7 students. We started the class late since there was an accident on one of the main roads leading to the store and not everyone had arrived. We were supposed to start at 6:30 p.m., although I had arrived 1 hour early to exchange my Course 1 kit for the Ultimate Decorating kit. Apparently, the Ultimate has everything needed for all 4 courses, which I do intend to take in succession :-)  The Ultimate kit is a huge toolbox, and everything within comes packaged in sealed plastic bags within plastic bags within plastic container drawers. So, it was a good thing class started 30 minutes late since it took at least 15 to open and sort through everything for just the tools needed that night.

By the way, Wilton, there needs to be allotted time in the first class to specifically address the organizational needs of each and every student who has purchased the Ultimatum. Once everything was opened, I could not tell you what 90% of the tools are used for. And once everything was taken out and opened, I'll be darned if I could get them all back in the EXACT same place in which they arrived (arg!) Very frustrating. In typical vacation-packing fashion, I forced the lid on the largest container downward while clicking the latch before quickly sliding it back into the toolbox to keep from exploding open. The teacher, speaking with superior amusement, informed me that I did not need to bring ALL the tools, just what I needed for each class. Thank you. 

Okay, so there were 4 tables and the last person to come in surveyed the limited seating and decided to park next to me. Keep in mind the table was already small and there were plastic bags everywhere and I was frantically trying to make piles of stuff to throw away, to leave out for class, and to put back in the toolkit. I also had to hurry because the sign in sheets were coming my way, AND I had to clear a space so she could use part of the table. This would make a great Jimmy Fallon "Thank You Note". On top of that, she was a talker and when it came to introductions let everyone know that she was a Pastry School student and was only there to build upon her decorating skills. Lovely. For the rest of class I learned EVERYTHING about that darned pastry class. By the way, if you're going to brag about pastry school, please don't bring store-bought cookies and a can of duncan-hines icing.

Okay. Onto the fun part. We each brought cookies to decorate and the teacher gave us a Course 1 booklet, an icing recipe (of which I will go into later,) and then showed us how to fill our piping bags. We practiced making stars with tip #18. I thought I was missing half the tips in the kit until the girl in front of me, who was also sporting the new purple and white Ultimation said they often are stuck together. Lo and behold, they were all there. What I really like about the kit is that it will hold a cake-full of tips and they are seated in their own little icing-tip chairs located within 2 compartments on top of the kit for easy-peazy access. We practiced making stars on our templates. Being a fan and practitioner of calligraphy, I thought making stars would be so simple. My stars, however, looked anemic. Squeeze bag, release, lift. Repeat. Ah, not so simple grasshopper. The rest of class was spent decorating my cookies with said anemic stars.

The next day, I decided to make my own icing figuring it would be much more cost-effective than buying the manufactured stuff by Wilton. Off to the store I went...Walmart to be exact. I bought the generic vegetable based shortening, and the generic confectioner's sugar, which was under $2 for each item. I followed the recipe the teacher gave us. Shortening, sugar, butter flavor, and water. Mix in blender for 7-8 minutes on medium. Done. What came out looked like inedible grainy crap in a mixing bowl. So I put it in the piping bag anyway and gave it a try. It looked like grainy crap piped through a star tip. Which was not the look I was going for. Okay...what did I do wrong? Maybe I needed to SIFT the powdered sugar. Boom! Still grainy. So I went online and found out that water and the fat in the shortening don't mix. Okay. So WHY was water in the recipe? I don't get it. Online, I read it's better to use CANE sugar. Which leads me to wonder, what kind of sugar was in the Walmart generic sugar?

Today, I made icing again, but instead of water, I used milk. And instead of generic confectioner's sugar, I used the CANE stuff by C&H. AND, I figured since I'm just practicing my piping, I won't bother with the extracts since no one will be eating it. Boom! It worked!!! Okay...learning experience. Use milk, not water in icing. I'm not sure if the cane sugar vs. unknown source sugar made a difference. I had put some of that Press & Seal plastic wrap on the counter and practiced piping on there. Then I would scoop it up, put it back in the bag and do it again. I'm really glad I'm practicing now, because I would've wasted SO MUCH TIME in class just figuring out how to pipe with just the right amount of pressure, and wondering which way to hold the bag that would work...etc.

So that's it for now. The teacher said I can take pictures in class, so that's what I will do. We need to bring a frosted cake ready to decorate. Can't wait!! Note to self...arrive early, take up whole table and move the extra chair.

By the way, here are the cookies from class. 

I used Wilton icing out of the can, which was kind of stiff for making stars. They're like little recruits arriving for basic training before they've received their uniforms :-)