"york" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

I just took my first Wilton cake decorating class yesterday (Sun
1/11/04)and I read in the course 1 book that I shouldn't use butter to
grease my pan. Why is that?

Thanks

You can use butter, but this is one area where shortening (Crisco) is
better. Solid shortenings melt at a higher temperature and will remain on
the surface of the pan longer. Butter not only has a lower melting point,
but it has water, sugar, and proteins, none of which are helpful. In fact,
the sugar and proteins are a bit sticky. Therefore, to ensure release, you
should use shortening. If you bake frequently, you might consider making
some pan grease. This is equal amounts (by volume, i.e., one cup each) of
flour and shortening. You can beat them together in your mixer and store in
a tightly covered container for a few month. When you need to grease and
flour a pan, you can brush this mixture on with a paintbrush.