How to make frosting with some obvious grittiness!

[Josho]

I've scoured the web and never seen this problem raised before.

My wife, whose preferences in food texture are, to put it mildly, unusual*, prefers frosting with definite discernible grittiness. I'd like to make a fine standard buttercream, but I'd also like to ensure that it DOES have some grittiness. Should I reduce the amount of confectioners' sugar in the recipe and make up for it with some superfine sugar? Any suggestions would be welcome!

Many thanks,

Josh

*For instance: she won't eat crispy french fries, she'll only eat floppy, soggy ones. She doesn't like her toast to be visibly browned; she prefers "warm bread" to toast. She abhors bread crumbs on top of macaroni and cheese, and definitely favors mac & cheese made with Velveeta to anything made with real cheese. She'll only eat chewy cookies, not crisp ones. I despair of what she's doing to my cooking skills!

[baroness]

Hmmmmm. I'm not so sure that superfine sugar would be at all gritty by the time the frosting is complete. You may need to use 'normal' granulated sugar instead.

[Kouign Aman]

? make your preferred frosting, spread it on her cake, sprinkle w granulated sugar?

Each bite will then contain grit, and you can do the sprinkling last minute, so it doesnt dissolve.

[tmriga]

Superfine is the same size grain as confectioner's sugar, but without the amount of cornstarch to prevent caking.

I would add some regular granulated sugar, preferably at the start of your dry addition cycle, so it has the chance to melt a little. An alternate idea would be to give granulated sugar a very short spin in the food processor, but not so much that it ends up 10X.

And I'm with her on the breadcrumbs on mac & cheese thing.

Theresa

[pastrygirl]

Superfine is the same size grain as confectioner's sugar, but without the amount of cornstarch to prevent caking.

I would add some regular granulated sugar, preferably at the start of your dry addition cycle, so it has the chance to melt a little. An alternate idea would be to give granulated sugar a very short spin in the food processor, but not so much that it ends up 10X.

I get superfine bakers sugar that is not that fine. I use C&H 'bakers special, definitely more granular than icing sugar, maybe a 4 or 6x. Maybe it is just one of those hazy terms with multiple applications.

For grit, how about brown sugar in the frosting?

[janeer]

You know, based on your description of your wife's preferences, it seems like she just likes the food she was served when she was a kid, the way her mother (who may not have been much of a cook) made it. I am betting the solution is more obvious than you might imagine. Keep a box of 10x hanging around until it is sort of old and clumpy. Make frosting with it: DO NOT SIFT OR STRAIN, and use a wooden spoon only. Voila: gritty icing. I can't tell you how many times I had that growing up in the 50s/60s at other kids' houses.