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Piping is one of the prettiest ways to decorate cakes and cookies, forming pastries and making decorative borders and designs. One of the ways in which it can be done is with a pastry bag. Another way is with a parchment cone. Generally, a pastry bag is a cone-shaped, reusable polyester or plastic coated cloth bag, a clear plasticine disposable bag or a hand folded parchment cone. Either bag has two open ends; one large and one small. A pastry bag is typically fitted with a decorative tube (tip) on the small end (optional for parchment cones) and filled with different icings and pastry dough, whipped cream or whipped ganache through the large one. (Canned frostings usually do not make a good one for piping because they don't keep their shape after piping.) The pastry bag is then closed by twisting the bag halfway down, forcing the contents towards the tip. The bag is then held in such a way that the tip faces the decorating surface, with the large end facing up. It is squeezed, forcing its contents through the tip, while moving it in certain positions, creating designs called piping. Piping is really an art form that takes lots of practice. For you, as the home baker, even to pipe easy designs, will give you such a feeling of accomplishment. And, for the recipient, it will bring such joy and plenty of smiles.
1) PASTRY BAGS: There are three types of pastry bags, reusable, disposable and parchment cones. They come in various sizes and can be made of a variety of materials. Pastry bags can be found in gourmet shops, some supermarkets and the kitchenware section of most department stores. Parchment cones are made from parchment paper or come precut, also widely available. ~ Reusable Pastry Bags: Sometimes called featherweight bags, my favorite is the one made of washable polyester that's specially coated to prevent leaks. They are also available in nylon, plastic-lined cotton, canvas, or plastic. These bags can be used over and over and still stay flexible. They can be used with a coupler so you can change the tubes without changing the bags. Keep several on hand if you are using multiple fillings or ones with different colors. Pastry bags come in different sizes: For general use, I prefer a 12 or 14-inch plastic lined canvas bag; any bigger, and the bag becomes unwieldy. Unless you have large quantities, use a bag that is 14 to 16-inches long. For smaller quantities, use one that is 8 to 10-inches long, but it is subject to frequent reloading. ~ Disposable Pastry Bags: ones are made out of clear plasticine. Good for one time only use, these bags are just thrown away when the decorating is done. They can be purchased at cake decorating stores. They are not as easy to use because they're not flexible. ~ Parchment Cones: or cornets, are disposable pastry bags that you make yourself from parchment paper triangles. They can be made both large and small, optionally fitted with a decorating tube and filled just like a pastry bag with a small amount of icing, such as a tablespoon. The small ones are perfect when piping intricate designs or if you need a bag or multiple ones each filled with a differently colored icing. It holds about a teaspoon of icing. 2) COUPLERS: A coupler is a two-part, plastic device, a base and a ring, that fits in the pastry bag and allows you to interchange decorating tips. I recommend having 2 or 3 of them. The base fits inside, the bag is cut at the end and then you put the decorating tip of your choice over the portion of the coupler that sticks out of the bag. When you screw the ring on, you've locked the decorating tip onto the coupler and bag. 3) DECORATING TUBES OR TIPS: Tubes are the tips that fit on the bottom of reusable or disposable pastry bags or parchment cones. They come in different tip designs which produce different decorations when you squeeze the filling through them, called piping. There are many different ways to pipe, depending on the tip used. 4) OTHER SUPPLIES:
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Like
most endeavors, cake decorating has its own tools and toys. For basic
decorating, you really don't need to spend a ton of money. However, there are a
few items that are absolutely necessary: a reusable pastry
bag, 2 or 3 couplers, basic pastry tips (a basic round and a star tip), and
optionally, parchment cones.
Use
a pencil to mark a line on the outside of the bag half way between the
narrow end coupler and the first thread of the
coupler. (Some mark a line at the first thread, I prefer to do the above).
Remove the coupler from the bag and then make your cut at the mark.
Push
the cone-shaped base, narrow end first, back into the open end of the bag
and down toward the pointed end as far as it will go (be
gentle if using paper). Push it until its tip and one or
two threads are showing through the cut hole. You will see the rest of the
threads through the pastry bag. You may need to trim the narrow 
inches to make a generous cuff. Place your hand
beneath the cuff to hold the bag. It may be easier for you if you stand an
empty pastry bag, tip side down in a glass, about 3 inches shorter than it;
fold the top of the bag down over the edge of the glass to form a cuff. With
your free hand, using a long spatula (an offset or rubber spatula works
well), fill the bag with frosting or filling about halfway.
C.
(left)
To remove the icing from the spatula, hold the
bag on the outside between your thumb and fingers and wipe or pinch the
spatula and the icing will fall into the bag.
E.
Twist the end right where the
top of the filling ends, as tightly as you can. Squeeze a small amount
of icing into the icing bowl to make sure there's no air in the bag.
An air encountered during piping will result in a little explosion of
filling, disrupting your design. More about:
