I’d like to use this newsletter as a way of letting you all know of new products recently added to our website, or products that are on their way. But I’d also love to hear from you – our valued customers – on what you would love to see, what your favourite go-to kitchen/baking utensil is, a cake you have made or a party you have had. If you have any handy tips, great party ideas or a favourite recipe, send them to us so we can get them out there to everyone. That way this becomes more of a good news forum for everyone rather than being just about us.
For starters, I’d like to say that we have LOADS of new stock coming into our BRAND NEW WEBSITE. If you haven’t had the chance to check it out yet, pop on over to www.perfectpartiesnz.co.nz and you’ll see how hubby and I spent lockdown (and we’re still speaking to each other!!!) We have lots of cake plaques/toppers coming in along with a variety of new silicon moulds, including some really lovely floral collections and some great Harry Potter themed ones.
We are also now able to custom print edible cake toppers or cupcake toppers. Simply send us a high resolution photo/picture and we can print this on either a 20cm diameter circular or A4 rectangular cake topper for you. Please note that we cannot print licensed or copyright images so please just make sure the image you are sending is yours.
Finally, I’d like to leave you with my favourite Italian meringue buttercream recipe. This silky smooth buttercream has become my favourite – it has the texture of a stiff whipped cream so really easy to pipe with and is perfect with our Russian piping nozzles. I also find it less sweet than normal buttercream and there is never any of that slightly gritty texture you can get when the icing sugar hasn’t incorporated well enough. It freezes well and sets firm. You will need an electric mixer with preferably both a k blade/paddle and balloon whisk. The recipe might look a bit of a faff but trust me – the end result is so worth it! What’s your all-time favourite recipe?
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients:
2 cups plain sugar
2/3 cup water
5 large egg whites (no. 7)
450 gm butter, cubed, cool but not cold
2 tsp vanilla
Pinch salt (optional)
Pinch of cream of tartar (optional)
For the chocolate variation:
1 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate, melted but not hot
Method:
- Mix half the sugar with the water in a medium saucepan and stir until sugar dissoves.
- Boil until mixture reaches 115 C. (If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, test your syrup by taking a tiny bit of syrup on a spoon and dip it into ice water. If it forms a malleable little ball when you grab it it is ready. )
- Whilst your sugar and water is heating, start whisking you egg whites. You can add the pinch of salt/cream of tartar if using. When the eggs start to look frothy, slowly start adding the remainder of your sugar.
- Continue whisking until stiff peaks appear. If your sugar syrup isn’t yet ready, stop beating your meringue so it doesn’t overwhisk
- Once your sugar syrup is ready, turn your mixture to high and SLOWLY pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl. Try and do this in a steady stream and don’t hit the whisk attachment – SUGAR SYRUP IS EXTREMELY HOT and you don’t want it splashing around.
- Keeping whipping the meringue until it is very stiff and the bowl has cooled right down (feel the bottom of it). You don’t want to be adding the butter to a hot mixture.
- Once the bowl has cooled down, switch the balloon whisk attachment for the k blade/paddle
- Start adding the butter, piece by piece, until fully incorporated and the buttercream is smooth and creamy.
- Switch back to your balloon whisk and then add any colours or flavourings and beat until light and fluffy.
- If you’re freezing or leaving in the fridge for a while, re-beat it with the balloon whisk to fluff it back up.
For the chocolate variation:
- Once the butter has been fully incorporated, pour in your chocolate all at once and immediately fold it in with a spatula or beat it in with the paddle attachment.