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Remember that pastry bag you used to decorate a cake months ago? You know the one. It’s tucked away in a dark corner of your cupboard and only sees the light of day on special occasions. Well, it’s time to put your pastry bag to good use in more ways than one. Although they are great for decorating cakes, pastry bags are pretty handy around the kitchen and will make certain tasks way easier. Here are seven clever uses for pastry bags:
1. Perfect Pancakes
Use a pastry bag to obtain a perfectly round pancake. All you do is pour the batter into the bag, heat up your griddle or pan then pipe in a circular motions. It’s best to pipe the outside circle first then fill the center with batter. You can also pipe pancakes into different letters and shapes.
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2. Cupcake Aid
Making cupcakes and muffins can be a little messy when you use an ice cream scoop. To prevent the batter from getting all over the tray use a pastry bag to pipe the batter right into the muffin tin.
3. Elegant Mashed Potatoes
Pastry bags are a great way to add elegance to a simple plate of mashed potatoes. For special occasions, add cheese to mashed potatoes and fit the piping bag with a star tip. Pipe swirls onto a baking tray and bake until golden. You’ll have mashed potatoes fit for a king!
4. Fill Croissants
To kick things up a notch at your next Sunday brunch try filling freshly baked croissants with fruit preserves or chocolate sauce. Just insert a small round tip into the pastry bag and pipe your favorite filling into the croissant.
Ken Hawkins/Flickr
5. Pasta Helper
Pastry bags are the best way of filling pasta shells and cannelloni. After preparing the cheese batter in a separate bowl, fill the pastry bag and pipe away.
6. Better Butter
Preparing breakfast in bed or a special brunch? Serve star-shaped butter! Use a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip to pipe softened butter into a small dish. Refrigerate after piping. Use your imagination to create butter in all different shapes and sizes!
7. Stuffed Appetizers
Cheese-stuffed figs and dates are delicious but can be a bit tricky to fill. By using a pastry bag instead of a spoon you’ll be able to facilitate the process and save loads of time you could be using for something else like enjoying a glass of wine with your dinner guests.
Tanantha Couilliard/Flickr
Have another unconventional use for a pastry bag? We’d love to hear all about it. Share it in the comments below!
