Roux-based frosting creates a delicately flavored alternative to traditional buttercream.
Rue -- properly spelled "roux" and coming from the French word for "red" -- is a mixture of flour and fat that's cooked slowly and then used as a thickener for sauces. Starches in the flour give sauces body and flavor. Heating the flour cooks out the raw cereal flavor and replaces it with toastier, more delicate undertones. Although roux is generally reserved for savory applications, it can also create a delicious frosting base. This non-traditional approach to frosting makes a unique, subtly flavored alternative to a typical buttercream.
Instructions
1. Combine milk and flour in a saucepan and place it over medium heat.
2. Whisk the milk and flour continuously, scraping the bottom of the pan to ensure nothing sticks and scorches. Constant whisking also results in a smoother frosting base.
3. Continue whisking the mixture until it has thickened. The consistency should be similar to that of pudding or heavy gravy.
4. Pour the flour and milk base into a shallow container and cover it with plastic wrap. A shallow container exposes more of the mixture's surface area and allows it to cool more quickly. The plastic wrap prevents the formation of a skin. Allow the base to rest in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
5. Twenty-four hours later when the base has set, empty it into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, room-temperature butter, vanilla and salt and whip it using medium speed for about 20 minutes.
Tags: flavored alternative, frosting base, milk flour, plastic wrap, shallow container