How to Fill a Homemade Pastry Bag for Piping
Mastering the art of decorating pastries is an important skill that will set your baked goods apart from the crowd. Luckily, it’s easy to create Instagrammable, show-stopping cupcakes and cream puffs at home, even if you don’t own professional piping tools. You only need a few items you already have in your kitchen. Read on or watch our video “How to Fill a Homemade Pastry Bag for Piping,” for a step-by-step guide.
What You’ll Need
- Scissors
- Quart-sized resealable plastic bag
- Tall, 16-ounce glass
- Rubber spatula
- Frosting or pastry filling
Steps
- Using scissors, cut diagonally across a small corner of the bag.
- Place the bag in a tall glass and fold the sides of the bag down around the glass.
- Using a spatula, fill the bag two-thirds full with frosting or pastry filling.
- Unfold the top of the bag from the glass. Squeeze the outside of the bag, pushing the frosting or pastry filling toward the corner of the bag that was cut. Twist the top of the bag until closed.
- Gently squeeze from the top of the bag down to push the contents out of the tip and pipe your favorite design.
Pro Tips
Follow these pro tips to take your piping skills to the next level.
- Create custom tips: For smaller, more intricate designs, cut a very small corner of the plastic bag. For a round tip, cut the corner of the bag in a curved line instead of straight across.
- Prevent pastry bag spillage: After you twist the bag closed, use a rubber band to secure the bag and prevent the contents from escaping as you pipe. This tip is helpful when you are piping at different times throughout a recipe.
- Pro puff pastries: When piping cream puffs or other pastries, poke a hole in the bottom of the pastry using a toothpick. Slowly squeeze the filling into the middle of the pastry, being careful not to break the shell.
Practice your homemade pastry bag piping skills with our Craquelin-Topped Profiteroles with Vanilla Pastry Cream or use our Vanilla Pastry Cream to add extra decadence and flavor to any homemade pastry. Share your creations with us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, tagging #BetterYourBake!