Buttercream Icing For Cakes And Cupcakes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup shortening
1 tablespoon meringue powder (found in cake stores or even down the cake decorating isle at walmart)
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon flavoring (I use 1/2 t of buttercream 1/2 t almond for the buttercream taste)
1 pinch salt
1 lb confectioners' sugar

Preparation

1.In a large mixer (kitchenAid is best for the power needed), mix the shortening until smooth and soft on high speed.
2.On low speed slowly add the meringue powder, water, flavoring and salt, scraping the sides as needed.
3.Start on medium speed to add the confectioner's sugar in small batches. The more sugar added the stiffer the icing gets and you will need to use high speed for the last few cups of confectioner's sugar.
Now you have stiff icing to change the consistency take the finished stiff icing and --
For medium icing add 1t water to 1 cup of icing, or if turning the whole recipe to medium icing, add 3 t of water to the recipe.
For thin icing add 2t of water to 1 cup of icing, or if turning the whole recipe to thin icing, add 6t of water to the finished recipe.