Red Vine Frosting/Red Vine Dessert

[TheNerdyBaker]

Ok, first of all, hi everyone! This is my first time posting here. I have been a long time lurker, but I am working my way further and futher up the chain at the bakery I work at (to the point where I get some creative control over product YAY!), and I was looking for a good place to use as a springboard for ideas and discussion.

So here's where I am. I am trying to create some kind of Red Vines based dessert, because I have a mad, and wildly obsessive love affair with them, and to my knowledge, it is an avenue that I haven't seen taken.

My first thought was a Red Vine cupcake. I have seen a recipie for a Red Vine filling that a competitor on Cupcake Wars has made (and won with!), however, I am looking for someting slightly more all encompassing than a filling.

My idea is a Red Vine Italian Meringue Buttercream. Do you guys think this would even work?! I have yet to try it out, but I plan to soon. Basically I was going to melt the Red Vines down in to a sugar syrup, and use it like I would the sugar syrup in IMBC.

My only reservations are about the texture that might result from doing this, and the overall flavor this would impart.

Any ideas?!

[jrshaul]

Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Wheat Flour, Citric Acid, Artificial Flavor, Red 40.

I guess the first order of business is heating some to form a syrup. I'm not sure if the colors or flavors would be modified by the heat. You'd also start to cook the wheat flour. An easier option may be to add citric acid, red #40, and artificial cherry or raspberry flavoring to the meringue.

Corn syrup is a very popular ingredient in chocolate ganache, frequently used to decrease viscosity. Forming a red vines syrup by boiling in water and mixing with cream and white chocolate might be an option.

To be honest, though, I find most artificial flavorings taste appalling when diluted. It might be easier to add a gelling agent and use it as a glaze.

Edited July 30, 2012 by jrshaul (log)