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These days, I simply buy the cheapest generic sandwich bags and snip a tiny hole in the corner for piping, writing or flooding unless I'm using a decorative tip (such as a star or leaf tip for specific design shapes.) But I don't see why you couldn't use a Wilton or other piping bag without a tip if you have a bunch of them. Without using tips, you can get a tinier hole that gives the ability to make the smallest strings and dots.

 

I think that as long as you get your icing consistency right, you don't need to use tips for piping, writing and flooding.

 

i should say I haven't bought or used the tipless bags you are talking about...but they appear to be a lighter weight plastic than the Wilton type. So, they might be easier to squeeze. 

Last edited by CTCookie

I think they are seamless too, though I don't really know. I've always gone tipless using parchment cones, which are lightweight, seamless, and allow you to cut the tiniest of holes. They have the added benefit of being biodegradable too.

The bag itself is lighter weight (thinner) than normal plastic pastry bags, and the "point" is sharper allowing to get better control and a smaller point. If you search ebay for "Master" pastry bags they are very inexpensive to try for yourself. and....They are good for those of us that can't master making a parchment cone! lol

These are great as a quick disposable bag. I like how little you can cut off of the tip and you can tie them in a knot at the end. I have had quite a few bags explode while I was using them with thick icing, so just a note of caution. I have used them with couplers and tips also.

Yes, search Master Disposable Piping Bags from China on Ebay and you should find them.

Thank you everyone! I am definitely interested enough to give them a go. I found them on Truly Mad Plastics for something like $4/100 bags. I think that's something I could get used to throwing away, unlike my Wilton ones which I wash after each use because they are so expensive!

It took me a few times to get used to them, but I'm a convert!  Aside from not having to clean tips , you can cut a tiny hole yet still vary the size of your icing line based on the amount of pressure you use. I also refrigerate my leftover icing, and it thaws quickly on the counter and then I just massage the bag until its ready. The tip crusts over and you just push the dry part out and you're ready to go. Although they're way thinner than the Wilton bags, they still have a seam, so you need to flatten it with the seam in the middle of the point (instead of to the side) and then cut in order to get a good opening. I bought the small and medium sizes and am glad I have both. 

  And yes, parchment cones have the same capabilities!  I do like parchment cones, but I like that I can fill the bags super full and that I can tie the ends so my little girls can decorate without me worrying about the frosting squeezing out of the top.  I haven't used cones in such a long time that I forget about them. 

Originally Posted by The Cookie Monger:

  And yes, parchment cones have the same capabilities!  I do like parchment cones, but I like that I can fill the bags super full and that I can tie the ends so my little girls can decorate without me worrying about the frosting squeezing out of the top.  I haven't used cones in such a long time that I forget about them. 

I rarely get any backflow out of the top because of the way I fold down the bags. But, everyone has his/her preferences - I definitely prefer working with less icing in each cone, as it reduces hand fatigue (for me; less icing to push against) and gives me greater control.

Originally Posted by The Cookie Monger:

It took me a few times to get used to them, but I'm a convert!  Aside from not having to clean tips , you can cut a tiny hole yet still vary the size of your icing line based on the amount of pressure you use. I also refrigerate my leftover icing, and it thaws quickly on the counter and then I just massage the bag until its ready. The tip crusts over and you just push the dry part out and you're ready to go. Although they're way thinner than the Wilton bags, they still have a seam, so you need to flatten it with the seam in the middle of the point (instead of to the side) and then cut in order to get a good opening. I bought the small and medium sizes and am glad I have both. 

Helpful, thank you! I was wondering about getting a clean opening with the seam. I ordered some on ebay and am excited to test them out.

 

And Julia - I wish that I could embrace the parchment cone! I love that they are affordable, can make them any size, easier on the hands etc. But I have yet to master them and actually find them quite intimidating haha.

Originally Posted by Julia M. Usher:
Originally Posted by The Cookie Monger:

  And yes, parchment cones have the same capabilities!  I do like parchment cones, but I like that I can fill the bags super full and that I can tie the ends so my little girls can decorate without me worrying about the frosting squeezing out of the top.  I haven't used cones in such a long time that I forget about them. 

I rarely get any backflow out of the top because of the way I fold down the bags. But, everyone has his/her preferences - I definitely prefer working with less icing in each cone, as it reduces hand fatigue (for me; less icing to push against) and gives me greater control.

That's a great point--even with the small number of cookies I make, hand fatigue is definitely becoming an issue with me.  I've noticed that the tipless bags are really taxing on my hands, more so than the disposable Wiltons with a tip.  The first time I used them my hand hurt for days. The grip is different with a cone.  I'll probably NEED to consider cones at some point for that reason alone. 

I was hopeless and frustrated when I tried switching to paper cones, but heartbroken to see so many plastic bags going into landfills. Remember, when purchasing cheap bags from around the world we not only pay the price of clogging our landfills and endangering wildlife, but also for the pollution of manufacturing and shipping them here, often from places without the environmental regulations and worker protections we have.

After wasting most of a roll of parchment and giving up in irritation, I watched Julia's video and tried again. Amazingly, I figured it out. A true feeling of triumph! Lol! (I was having trouble making the hole small enough and keeping it tight enough. Turns out I was doing the "shimmy" wrong, not pulling the corners tight in the right direction. Plus, I switched to folding the excess to the inside and it is keeping my outside seam snugly in place. I can't help but wonder if that is the same issue that gives other decorators trouble?)

Because I was used to decorating larger desserts such as cakes with pastry bags, I had no conception of how much icing is needed to decorate a cookie. I always made far more of each color than needed, for fear of running out and not being able to match the shade again. Once I realized that it only takes a small amount of icing to cover quite a few cookies, I benefited greatly by switching to paper cones. They are so much lighter and more maneuverable in tight areas, and really easy on the hands. As Julia has mentioned, they also offer very tiny customizable holes, along with the side benefit of flexing a bit to let lumps pass through instead of clogging the tip. She really is a secret mastermind.

While I still use plastic bags in certain situations, I hate having to clean up afterwards. (Lazy me, I have even been known to put a paper cone inside of a piping bag in order to avoid having to wash it. Sort of the eco-friendly version of the cling-wrapped pod some brilliant decorator shared online.) Besides, it's kind of fun to actually feel good about throwing something out instead of cleaning it! I wish more people would give it a try, if only because it is better for the environment.

Last edited by Julia M. Usher
Originally Posted by Wildflower:

I was hopeless and frustrated when I tried switching to paper cones, but heartbroken to see so many plastic bags going into landfills. Remember, when purchasing cheap bags from around the world we not only pay the price of clogging our landfills and endangering wildlife, but also for the pollution of manufacturing and shipping them here, often from places without the environmental regulations and worker protections we have.

After wasting most of a roll of parchment and giving up in irritation, I watched Julia's video and tried again. Amazingly, I figured it out. A true feeling of triumph! Lol! (I was having trouble making the hole small enough and keeping it tight enough. Turns out I was doing the "shimmy" wrong, not pulling the corners tight in the right direction. Plus, I switched to folding the excess to the inside and it is keeping my outside seam snugly in place. I can't help but wonder if that is the same issue that gives other decorators trouble?)

Because I was used to decorating larger desserts such as cakes with pastry bags, I had no conception of how much icing is needed to decorate a cookie. I always made far more of each color than needed, for fear of running out and not being able to match the shade again. Once I realized that it only takes a small amount of icing to cover quite a few cookies, I benefited greatly by switching to paper cones. They are so much lighter and more maneuverable in tight areas, and really easy on the hands. As Julia has mentioned, they also offer very tiny customizable holes, along with the side benefit of flexing a bit to let lumps pass through instead of clogging the tip. She really is a secret mastermind.

While I still use plastic bags in certain situations, I hate having to clean up afterwards. (Lazy me, I have even been known to put a paper cone inside of a piping bag in order to avoid having to wash it. Sort of the eco-friendly version of the cling-wrapped pod some brilliant decorator shared online.) Besides, it's kind of fun to actually feel good about throwing something out instead of cleaning it! I wish more people would give it a try, if only because it is better for the environment.

A woman after my own heart! I couldn't agree more about the virtue of parchment cones! (Obviously.) 

I buy the disposable plastic bags and then reuse them dozens of times.  I have been using the same ones for years!  I place all my icing in the plastic wrap pouches and slide them inside the bags - still some waste but not nearly as much and MUCH cheaper!!

I might be the only one 😁 but I'm rarely able to finish all my piping at one time, due to various interruptions. Often I won't be able to return to my cookies until many hours later, or even the next day. While I love parchment for super fine lines and writing, parchment simply does not keep the icing usable for long. In either a tipless or other decorating bag, the icing will keep for a very long time. I've used icing that has been left in a bag several days later with no problem. I've tried to get parchment to keep (sometimes under a slightly damp towel) but it dries out within a few hours.

I too hate throwing away the plastic. 

Julia M. Usher posted:

Parchment cones do all of the above with no seams - and they're cheaper. People really should try them if they haven't. 

I would LOVE to figure out how to use parchment cones.  I have watched your tutorial and bought some parchment triangles, but I am not doing something right!   I think the holes that I cut are cut on an angle or something.  The icing comes out shaped like a triangle! lol   I really like to use small tips so parchment cones would be my answer.  I have been recommended these disposable bags as well https://amzn.to/2yiECk3 ,  but they aren't biodegradable.  

Bear Clan Cookies posted:
Julia M. Usher posted:

Parchment cones do all of the above with no seams - and they're cheaper. People really should try them if they haven't. 

I would LOVE to figure out how to use parchment cones.  I have watched your tutorial and bought some parchment triangles, but I am not doing something right!   I think the holes that I cut are cut on an angle or something.  The icing comes out shaped like a triangle! lol   I really like to use small tips so parchment cones would be my answer.  I have been recommended these disposable bags as well https://amzn.to/2yiECk3 ,  but they aren't biodegradable.  

Be sure you don't fold your paper before you make the cone, as any creases at the tip can distort the shape of the icing as it comes out. Also, be sure to cut the tip straight across (as you said), and avoid handling the tip, as this can also misshape it (and then misshape the icing). Best of luck!

Julia M. Usher posted:
Originally Posted by Wildflower:

I was hopeless and frustrated when I tried switching to paper cones, but heartbroken to see so many plastic bags going into landfills. Remember, when purchasing cheap bags from around the world we not only pay the price of clogging our landfills and endangering wildlife, but also for the pollution of manufacturing and shipping them here, often from places without the environmental regulations and worker protections we have.

After wasting most of a roll of parchment and giving up in irritation, I watched Julia's video and tried again. Amazingly, I figured it out. A true feeling of triumph! Lol! (I was having trouble making the hole small enough and keeping it tight enough. Turns out I was doing the "shimmy" wrong, not pulling the corners tight in the right direction. Plus, I switched to folding the excess to the inside and it is keeping my outside seam snugly in place. I can't help but wonder if that is the same issue that gives other decorators trouble?)

Because I was used to decorating larger desserts such as cakes with pastry bags, I had no conception of how much icing is needed to decorate a cookie. I always made far more of each color than needed, for fear of running out and not being able to match the shade again. Once I realized that it only takes a small amount of icing to cover quite a few cookies, I benefited greatly by switching to paper cones. They are so much lighter and more maneuverable in tight areas, and really easy on the hands. As Julia has mentioned, they also offer very tiny customizable holes, along with the side benefit of flexing a bit to let lumps pass through instead of clogging the tip. She really is a secret mastermind.

While I still use plastic bags in certain situations, I hate having to clean up afterwards. (Lazy me, I have even been known to put a paper cone inside of a piping bag in order to avoid having to wash it. Sort of the eco-friendly version of the cling-wrapped pod some brilliant decorator shared online.) Besides, it's kind of fun to actually feel good about throwing something out instead of cleaning it! I wish more people would give it a try, if only because it is better for the environment.

A woman after my own heart! I couldn't agree more about the virtue of parchment cones! (Obviously.) 

I gotta learn parchment cones better. I've tried before but have been frustrated. I cry a little each time I throw out those press n' seal icing "pods" that I use inside my Wilton bags (that I've literally never thrown away because save the turtles! LOL). Watching Julia's video again now. 

Good luck with your cones, @emilymader. All they take is a little practice - you might try making one while following along with the video, if you haven't already. P.S. Thanks so much for watching!

I love TMP tipless bags mostly for flooding, which I discovered at CookieCon 2018. However, I will use parchment cones for small jobs as I discovered small holes tend to stretch open after lots and lots of use.  Then tips in bags for fine piping or details. Very nice to have options!

Hey all -

l found this video:  https://youtu.be/bew4Yyk2KwQ                 to be SUPER helpful when I was struggling to figure out parchment cones.

For one thing, she shows a simple trick to help cut an even triangle. 

I've been using the tipless plastic bags instead - b/c as someone said previously RI dries pretty quickly in parchment - but I do finally feel confident about being able to make a parchment cone if needed. 

Hope the video is helpful!

Ann

 

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