The Pastry Bag

10/15/2018

The pastry bag is one of the most used tool in all of culinary. Second to the knives. Especially in the bakeshop. The whole design and make up of the bag allows the chef to neatly and efficiently add their fillings.

The pastry bag also help to ice, design and finish a cake. Without the pastry bag, it would be really hard to pipe macaron batter onto the cookie sheet. Although, I can think of at least two other ways.

Useful Beyond Piping & Decorating

Coconut Macaroons

Pastry is such a hands on experience and the pastry bag is the perfect hand to glove fit companion.

They come in all different sizes and the hand control you will have with your decorating will be equaled no matter what size you're using. From the 6" pastry bag all the way up to the large 18"in pastry bag.

The variation in sizes helps the chef to work on a variety of tasks. The pastry bag is not only used to fill with icing for
decorating a cake.

The pasty bag is also used to help fill cake , plus cupcake molds, Bavarian molds, and parfaits. The pastry bags is often used in various culinary applications.

That'a why I labeled it one of the most used tools in the professional kitchen.

The 18" sized pastry bag is the most used in the professional kitchen because of its yield. The size to use if your dessert yield is one dozen or more. The purpose of this big bag is to keep your work efficient and timely.

When you're baking large production, you really don't want to refill that pastry bag no more than once.

Very helpful when your icing a lot of cupcakes, or filling pies or tarts by the dozen. The 16" pastry bag , the size I used the most, holds enough royal icing to fill a couple of dozen sugar cookies.

There are these little bottles you can use for decorating and for run out icing. There is a rhythm and zone, however you can get into with the concentrated, steady squeeze of the pastry bag, and the flipping the wrist while filling in that 'well'.

Bag flexibility is controlled and precise when decorating with a pastry bag. When piping the decorative edging on a cake, the 16" pastry bag will give you just enough icing to complete your edging on a cake up to 10" round, without having to stop for a refill.

That would be annoying to me to have to keep stopping right in the middle of my piping flow just to refill my pastry bag.

Using the large pastry bag allows you to be precise and neat when working with creamy fillings.

If you shop for cake decorating supplies at your local art & crafts retail store, you are fully aware that there are just a couple of brands that you can buy out there.

I have also noticed that their are a few new brands of cake decorating supplies showing up on these same retail shelves.

Strawberry Milk Buttercream

There's about two celebrity chefs, and a food blogger, who all have their own line of cake decorating supplies, which includes pastry bags and tips. I think it's pretty cool if you can market your own products.

However, I'm also a consumer first and I have to say those 'name' branded products are really cute. Packages really pretty. Unfortunately for me, they do fall short of the work I put on my pastry bags. Especially for reusing the
disposable bags more than once.

Instructions on Using a Pastry Bag

Prepare the piping bag

Before using your pastry bag, trim the end to fit large piping tips.

Do not cut too much or your piping tip may slip out the bottom.

Insert the tip without a coupler

Slip the tip into the bag and place it snugly in the bottom of the bag.

Changing the tip with a coupler

Insert the "inside" plastic piece into the bag first.

Then secure the piping tip on the outside of the bag with the plastic ring. Screw the tip into the coupler tightly.

If you're using a coupler and want to swap tips, just unscrew the outer part of the coupler and change

Filling the bag

Holding the bag in your hand, fold the top portion over your hand.
Now, you're ready to
fill your bag.

Scoop up your filling with a rubber spatula, or spoon and insert it in the bag.

Scrape extra filling off the spatula against the inside of the bag. Fill the bag only 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full.

Piping the frosting

Twist the top of the pastry bag to close. Use a bag tie to help keep bag closed. Apply pressure to the bag by slowly squeezing from the top of the bag as the filling begins to flow out.
Pipe slowly and steadily.

Finding The Best Pasty Bags

The Disposable Bag

If you go through a lot of icing bags, then disposable pastry bags are perfect for you.

Disposable bags ensure sterility and save valuable time by eliminating cleanup. You never know when the urge to decorate will hit, and with a package of disposable decorating bags on hand, you’re always ready to tackle any cake decorating project.

And since these bags are disposable, you can just use and toss. Spend more time decorating and less time cleaning up. These bags are easy to use with just about any decorating tip and coupler set. Or just fill the bag, cut the tip and you’re ready to go.

Constructed of nonslip plastic making each bag easy to grip; safe for use with hot or cold foods wide opening makes bag simple to fill; Clear plastic makes it easy to anticipate refills. Just toss them instead of trying to rinse and clean icing think of this as an investment

The clear plastic construction makes it easy to anticipate refills and the wide design provides a simple way to fill the bag. The bags come in a roll of 100, simply tear one off when ready to use.

These one use bags ensure sterility so no need to worry about cross contamination. They also save valuable time by eliminating cleanup. One hundred bags come in a pack, and you can order these bags in three different sizes, 12” , 18”, and 21”.

Ateco Disposable Decorating Bags

Buy Here

Pack of 100
Professional quality
Quality design since 1905
Durable and great
Bag sizes 12”, 18” 21”

Easy to use,Ateco disposable decorating bags are a versatile decorating tool for professional and home bakers alike. Four generations of the August Thompsen family have provided quality baking and decorating tools to professional pastry chefs and discerning home bakers
for over 100 years.

This brand of pastry bags were a staple in every bakery and pastry kitchen I’d ever worked in. Maybe because most of these establishments used the same purveyor. What I can say, is that the Ateco disposable bags did a wonderful job in standing up to the high requirements
of a pastry kitchen.

Ateco's Disposable Decorating Bags are a versatile, easy to use tool making them ideal for the professional
and home kitchen alike.

Simply fit the bag with a coupler and add a pastry tip of your choice to pipe eclairs, cream puffs, butter cream, mashed potatoes and more! Made of nonslip plastic, each bag is easy to grip no matter what it is filled with.

Wilton Disposable Decorating Bags

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Beats craft store prices
100 in a pack
Makes clean up easier
Simply throw out.

Wilton’s disposable decorating bags are easy to use with just about any decorating tip and coupler set. Just fill the bag, cut the tip and you’re ready to go. These disposable decorating bags are also great for melting Wilton Candy Melts in the microwave.

Just place them in the bag and melt them according to the directions on the package. Snip the tip and drizzle the melted candy on cupcakes, pretzels, or fruit. Then toss the bag when you’re done. No messy cleanup!

Great for using with Witlon Candy Melts.

These decorating bags are perfect for many applications: cake filling; cake decorating; cupcake filling and decorating; cookie decorating; pastry filling and decorating; candy making and more! These disposable decorating bags with or without quick change couplers (sold separately). Standard sized tips and couplers are recommended. Bags are strong and flexible; transparent for quick and easy identification of its contents; convenient; ideal for quick touch ups

These multipacks come in 12” and 16”, up to 100 count. These decorating bags are perfect for many applications including cake filling.

100 bags per box.

Cake decorating
Cupcake filling
Decorating
Cookie decorating
Pastry filling
Candy making

Thesedisposable decorating bags can be used with or without couplers. Standard sized tips and couplers are recommended, but not included. Bags are strong and flexible. Transparent for quick and easy identification of its contents. Convenient; ideal for quick touch ups. This package contains one dispenser box with.

Wilton Parchment Triangles

100 Parchment Triangles Per Pack

Buy Here

15” parchment triangles
The professional’s choice
Convenient
Quick preparation.
Ideal for small amounts of icing
Use for fine decorating details
For candy or a variety of icings
100 per pack

Authentic parchment paper is the professional's choice for convenience and quick bag preparation. These bags are my frequent go to when using only a small amount of icing, or chocolate. The parchment paper bags are best used for small piping details, like writing or filigre’. Parchment bags are greaseproof, so you don’t have to worry about greasy parchment bags.

When you open the package, you’ll find parchment triangles. That means you’ll have to make them into your own parchment pastry bags. These types of bags were used most of the time in my profession. It was routine to spend about 30 minutes per week folding the parchment triangles into pastry bags.

This was done for the convenience of just grabbing one of those bags for whatever detailing I had to do. Especially with chocolate work. Don’t worry, this tutorial will make you an expert in minutes.

The Silicone Bag

Reusable silicone piping bags are versatile for any kind of decoration. made of durable and flexible food-grade silicon.

Bags are made of durable silicone which can withstand powerful extrusion.

The reinforced seam is designed to provide the highest level of strength while giving the bag superior flexibility. The interior of the bag is perfectly smooth while the outside is textured for control and slip-free handling.
Perfect for standard size couplers and tips.

The reinforced seam is designed to provide the highest level of strength while giving the bag superior flexibility.

The interior of the bag is perfectly smooth while the outside is textured for control and slip-free handling. Perfect for Wilton / Kootek standard size tips.

Kootek Cake Decorating Tools Set

Buy Here

Three sizes
12’, 14’’ and 16’’ sizes
Reusable Silicone
6 Standard Couplers
10 Piping Bag Ties
Easy to Clean
FDA approved
BPA free.

Kootek Reusable Silicone Pastry Bags make decorating easier and more enjoyable for bakers, from beginner to expert. These bags are made of durable silicone which can withstand powerful extrusion.

The reinforced seam is designed to provide the highest level of strength while giving the bag superior flexibility. The interior of the bag is perfectly smooth while the outside is textured for control and slip-free handling. Compatible for Wilton / Kootek standard size tips.

This twelve pack ofreusable piping bags come in three different sizes, 12’,’14’,and 16’’.

You will get four piping bags in each size. Included in this set are six standard sized plastic couplers, compatible with Wilton and Kootek standard-size piping tips.

You can easily switch out the tips while still using the same bag of frosting.

Set includes 28 pieces!

This set also come with ten icing bag ties. Icing bag ties are convenient bands that wrap around the twist of your decorating bag.

Multipurpose and easy to clean - Each piece are reusable and dishwasher safe. Ideal for decorating cake, cupcakes, cookies, candy, fondants, muffin, pies that requires a variety of
creams, frostings or fillings