Name: How to Pipe a Zig-Zag Puff
Ingredients: Buttercream Frosting; Standard Open Star Tip 17; Disposable Decorating Bags; Standard Coupler

Ingredients

Instructions

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- Fit a decorating bag with star tip 18 and fill it 1/2 full or less with medium consistency icing.
- Hold the decorating bag at a slight angle (45°) with the back of the bag pointing towards the right or to the left, for left-handed decorators, with tip lightly touching surface.
- Squeeze the bag and glide the tip along the surface in an up and down motion, beginning with a light pressure, then use heavier pressure toward the center of the puff while also increasing the up and down height. Move your whole arm, not your wrist. Strive for even spacing as you pipe.
- Gradually relax the pressure and decrease the up and down height to form the tapered end. To end each puff, stop pressure and pull tip away.
- Gradually relax the pressure and decrease the up and down height to form the tapered end. To end each puff, stop pressure and pull tip away.

For consistently sized zigzag puffs, each puff should have the same number of zigzags on either side of the tallest center zigzag.
When piping zigzag puffs, think about two motions: up and down and to the side simultaneously. The up and down movement of your arm determines the height of the waves; the motion to the side effects the distance between them.
The pressure on your bag and the size tip you use determines the thickness of the line.