If you are making black or red icing, PLEASE treat yourself to some AmeriColor Super Black and Super Red gel paste food colorings.
If you've tried another brand, you've probably noticed that you had to use the entire bottle to get a true, deep color.
And then, you probably noticed a not-so-pleasant taste?
AmeriColor "Supers" are the way to go. Just a bit gives nice, saturated colors...and the taste? What taste? All I taste is icing. (That's a good thing.)
Where to buy it? Well, here are just a few options:
- your local bakery supply shop
- Sweet!
- Copper Gifts
- Bake It Pretty
- Layer Cake Shop
- Amazon
I learned this the hard way! I made a Manchester United cake for my brother-in-law's birthday. Completely red. I used a TON of coloring and it looked amazing! It also tasted TERRIBLE! So good to know what actually works! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI just received a large box of Americolor food coloring from Amazon-- so excited to try something new!! :)
ReplyDeleteI Just ordered my 2 student kits of AmeriColor! I love them! They're amazing. They made my daughter's Tangled cake SUPER easy :)
ReplyDeleteDoes this black dye color your mouth when you eat the cookies?
ReplyDeleteSO good to know! I must have missed your previous lectures because my Fourth of July cookies looked very pink and still tasted horrible. I think you just saved my Halloween cookies!
ReplyDeleteVERY good to know! I can't stand how red colorings taste horrible - it really detracts from the cake or cookies. Not a flavor I want family and friends to remember when eating something I made!
ReplyDeleteI was working on my Canada Day goodies a few weeks ago, and used up my Wilton reds on the cookies (they still were only bright pink, and tasted so bitter), so I knew what to buy for my cupcakes when I needed to restock. I could not BELIEVE how little gel it took to get a bright, true red. And it was all because I had seen this on your blog previously - I was just waiting until I used what I had left up!
ReplyDeleteLove those red, black and white cookies! I love Americolor, too!
ReplyDeleteI listened. I bought. I love. :)
ReplyDeleteJust be sure not to add too much color to your icing. It might have a tendency to bleed. I did that - live and learn!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this. I have a love/hate relationship with Wilton's no-taste red and think we may have broken up for good now.
ReplyDeleteI was at an ICES show in my beginner days (because it happened to be going on where I lived) and saw a booth for Americolor with signs promising a red that's really red. I totally didn't believe it. The lady there gave me a cup of buttercream and put all of four drops of super red into it and told me to mix. I thought for sure it'd end up dark pink at best. I stood mouth agape when it stayed RED. I bought a gigantic thing of super black and super red on the spot and still have both going!
ReplyDeleteNow I dig wowing kids in classes with the same kinds of tricks. I'm a dedicated Americolor fan.
Thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip. I have never tried these before. I hate when icing tastes nasty!
ReplyDeleteDoes it look red when you are making the icing? Or after it dries? I used Americolor super red for 4th of July and wondered if I used too much? It dried red but the soft icing looked orange..i kept adding the gel but gave up and iced my cookies. Lucky for me it dried red. Just wondering how little is needed for it to dry red...?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Kirsten
100% agree! And how could I ever doze off? Not possible :)
ReplyDeleteAmeriColor is my favorite! Sadly the two local baking supply stores near me don't carry it. Thank goodness I can order it from Toronto!
ReplyDeleteIt ain't gonna happen but force feed me spinach and kale before making me clean all your bottles and icing tips should I EVER doze off during one of your lectures!
I have tried a few times over the last couple weeks to order from Sweet! and it won't let me get any further than the checkout page. Have you had any challenges?
ReplyDeleteI am one of those bakers that hates to have to color anything red or black because I hate the taste that the food coloring leaves. It really ruins a great tasting icing because like you said you have to use soooooo much coloring to get a true black or red. But I can say the the 'Super Black" works great, I haven't tried the "Super Red" yet, but I do plan to get some this weekend!!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU! I knew there had to be a better way!
ReplyDeleteAmeriColor by far is the best - in fact, I just ran over to Sweet! yesterday during my lunch hour to pick up some more!!
ReplyDeleteI try to avoid food coloring but if you've got to use it, you might as well use a potent one that requires very little. This stuff works!
ReplyDeleteGuess this is why I adore you~
ReplyDeleteCause you're SUPER cute...
SUPER sweet...
SUPER adorable...
SUPER hilarious...
SUPER lucky to have 3 fabulous men in your life~
Mr. E...Kiddo and Spike~r!
SUPER inspiring...
SUPER everything wonderful!
That's what YOU are~
I'm SUPER excited we are FRIENDS!
xo
I NEED these. I only have access to Wilton gel colors right now, which are very good, but the black and reds are not. I get deep purple and hot hot pink instead. They usually darken overnight, but still, I have to use SOOOOO much. Will definitely be investing in these soon. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! Thank you thank you!!! And also thank you for answering my longhorn orange question a few days ago!!
ReplyDeleteI am on my way to the all in one bake shop to buy some supers!
I don't think I've ever commented before, so I'll just start by saying I looooove your blog! And your sugar cookie recipe is my favorite ever :) Anyway...my local cake supply shop sells AmeriColor dyes, and I absolutely love them! But where do you buy your larger bottles of dye? The websites you linked to seem to only sell the smaller bottles (as does my cake shop). Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOoh, never mind, I just found them on Amazon! Guess I should look a little harder lol ;)
ReplyDeleteI think my very first comment on your blog was on your post about Ameri-Color being sold at Hobby Lobby. I could have reached through the screen and hugged you! I had the kids in the car as I was reading the last sentence of that post. Of course I had been a blog-lurker for MUCH longer :) I don't know what it was about that post but it got me into commenting - This was before I had started blogging myself and I didn't understand that bloggers need comments like the ocean needs water. Anyhoo - yes Super Red and Super Black have changed my life. Changed. My. Life. (Is that a little too dramatic?!)
ReplyDeleteOnly wish I knew this several years ago. Before the Mickey Mouse cake. It was black and red and yellow (so you can imagine how much I used...) The kids were too excited about Mickey and I assume the adults were too polite to mention the taste. For my next Mickey lover, however, I have learned my lesson and I'm ordering today. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a food coloring fan so I would recommend some natural options. For red, try pressing some strawberries and for black press some black raspberries. The color may not be as strong as the food coloring but the flavor will make up for it.
ReplyDeleteI just bought a box of AmeriColor gels and I can't wait to mix my own colors.
ReplyDeleteYou make the most fantastic cookies I've ever seen! I keep visiting hoping some of your talent will rub off. So far all I've gotten is hope. :)
If you have a Hobby Lobby store near you, you may be able to pick some up there. I have been to two in my area and they both carried Americolor. I think I bought literally every color. There is no half-way with me. This can be bad or good. :)
ReplyDeleteThese definitely work better than the Wilton food colorings, but I still feel like I need a TON to get a true red or black, even after letting the icing rest for a day or two to darken up. :( What's the secret that I'm missing out on?
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of the inspiration! I am hoping to try cut-out cookies with royal icing soon.
ReplyDelete