The cake reminds me of a sunset!

While Sydney was home  this past weekend, for a VERY short time, we visited the Botanical gardens. As we walked around the flowers and greenery I saw a Flamboyant Mayflower and  became mesmerized by it’s beauty! The Flamboyant Mayflower is known for its flamboyant display of flowers. In many tropical parts of the world it is grown as an ornamental tree and in English it is given the name Royal Poinciana or Flamboyant. It seemed kismet to spot this wonderful flower during the month of May, Graduation month.

I photographed as many pictures from all angles of the Flamboyant Mayflower and asked Sydney if she would help me recreate a cake in honor of this majestic flower. It also happens to be a friend of mine’s daughter’s high school graduation; we brought it to the graduation party. I must admit the Flamboyant Mayflower Petal Cake was a huge success.

Breathe taking

Flamboyant Mayflower:

I think dusting the petals and watching the flower come to life is one of my favorite parts of creating an arrangement!

Material:

2-recipes Cherry Blossom cake, 2 6×4-inch cake & 2 8×4-inch cake, covered in Fondant, Fondarific

Gumpaste

Sunset orange petal dust, PC

Daffodil petal dust, CC

Cherry for Katie, CC

Birds of paradise petal dust, PC

Lime petal dust, CK

Moss Green, CK

Folligae, CK

Sunset food paste

Leaf green, petal dust

Edible glue

Crisco

Egg white

Cornstarch

Vodka

Edible varnish

Water

Equipment:

Amaryllis cutter, Farmers

Amaryllis veiner, SKGI

Basic Leaf Cutter, ISAC

Basic leaf veiner, SKGI

Ceramic silk tool, HP

Dresden Tool, FMM

Plain wheel cutter, PME

28,26, 24, and 22 gauge wire, green & white

Nile green floral

White Floral Tape

Wire cutters

Fine point scissors

Groove board

Gumpaste rolling pin

Soft dusting brushes

Fine needle pliers

Metal Ball Tool, JR

Foam pad, ISAC

Color your gumpaste/sugar paste, for the flamboyant mayflower, you want to leave the paste white, color pale and pale green for the leaves and calyx.

For the Flamboyant Mayflower spray, there are two Flamboyant Mayflowers, three Vanilla Orchards, five Flamboyant Mayflower buds, and 15 leaves.

Prepare your mise en place.

The Stamens:

You will want to create the stamens first, generally the Flamboyant Mayflower has 8 to 10 stamens, they have a white centre and orange/ reddish side.

Prepare 8 to 10, 28 gauge white wire, cut the wire in 1/4 and bend the end with an open hook or “L” shape, dip the wire in egg white, and wipe excess off on the back of your hand.  Roll a bead size  piece of white gumpaste/ sugar paste, insert the prepare wire, gently pinch the bottom of the rounded gumpaste, and create a cone with the tip pointed upwards.

Place the stamens in a floral foam and allow the stamens to dry, preferably overnight.

Wrap the stamens in white floral tape, and color the tape orange/ red. Color the stamens with birds of paradise and Cherry for Katie.

Floral tape the stamens together leaving the red dusted section showing!! Place the sets, two sets, in a floral foam for later.

The Flamboyant Mayflower Petals:

Knead some gum paste well, take a golf ball size portion of gumpaste, roll into a log and thinly roll on a groove board, take care to roll in one direction, up first and then down. The paste should be tissue paper thin. Transfer to a cutting mat, and cut five petals with your Amaryllis cutter. Dip a 1/4 cut white 28 gauge wire in egg white and thread into the grooved portion of the petal 1/3 up.

Place the wired petal on a foam pad, using your metal ball tool half on the edge of the petal and half on the pad. Add slight movement, place the petal in your amaryllis veiner and press closed to vein.

Replace the petal on your foam pad and use the side of a dresden tool to frill, next use a ceramic silk tool to add more frill.

Allow to dry half way.

Color the petal before they completely dry. Start with daffodil yellow, overlay with birds of paradise, and edge with cherry red, keeping one petal centre white and adding red specks.. Allow to dry overnight. Remember to dust from the base to the centre and edges to centre, layer your colors to add realism.

The Calyx:

The calyx for the Flamboyant Mayflower is red inside and green on the outside, it tends to be thicker than a peony or rose calyx. It is five separate “leaves” each on it’s own wire.

Roll a pea size ball of pale green gumpaste insert a looped of 28 gauge green wire dipped in egg white, roll the ball in long cone.

 Hollow the inside, and vein each calyx leaf. Dust the inside with cherry red petal dust, proceed to dust the outside and lip with lime green and moss green. Keep the contrast severe.

place each wire in a floral foam to dry.

The Buds and Leaves:

To create the buds, cut 28 gauge wire in 1/4 loop the end of the wire, dip in egg white. Roll a small ball of green gumpaste, and insert the prepared wire. Pinch the ball at the bottom gently to attach. Use a plain wheel cutter to cut three sections. The bud is dusted in lime green and moss green, and the sections are colored red. Mix a little vodka with the cherry red and draw a line in the sections. I prepared five buds, but that was a choice.

The leaves: 

Roll your light green gumpaste thinly on your groove board. Transfer the paste to your cutting mat, and cut out ten leaves. Place nine of the paste leaves under your plastic mat. Thread a 26 gauge wire in the thick part of the groove board, pinch the leaf on the bottom to the wire. Vein your leaf with a basic leaf veiner, release the leaf on your foam pad. Using the ball tool half on the outer leaf and half on the foam pad. Use the dresden tool to deepen the veins. Hold the tip of the leaf and the bottom, gently pinch and exaggerate the center vein and create a slender leaf.

Color the leaves from the base to the centre and edge to the centre with lime green, moss green, and edge with cherry red. Add a little cherry red to the centre vein and a  few outer sections. Paint 50/50 edible varnish and allow to dry.

Assemble:

Take your prepared stamens, with nile green tape, wrap beginning under the base of the stamens, wrap once around add a petal, wrap the tape once around again and add another petal. Continue until all five petals have been added. Repeat with the five calyx leaves. Steam to set color.

I will give a tutorial on the orchids, the spray assembly, and the petal cake in another post.

As I finish this tutorial I am in DC helping Sydney move into her new apartment. She was chosen to participate  for a summer psychology program. As her mother I am proud, but my heart aches as I know in a few days I will be saying goodbye again. As her friend I am happy she has found a place she enjoys.

I guess we all must accept and be supportive when our children leave home.

Hope you will try a Flamboyant Mayflower Spray and petal cake!

I had an amazing time creating the Flamboyant Mayflower spray!

Enjoy!

Voila!

A Peony Spray Cake topper!

Peonies are one of my favorite flowers, we have had them adorn our landscaping for almost 22 years; I remember planting our first peony plant with Sydney (she was almost two) and it just happened to be Mother’s Day. As I was covering the the second cake Sydney came through the door ready for 10 days of fun (she is spending the summer in DC). I had originally created the Peony cake topper as another cake, in a long line, of 21 birthday cakes for her to choose from. The Peony symbolizes friendship, good luck, feminine beauty, elegance and poise, all the qualities Sydney has acquired.

For the past few years the Peony has become one of the favored flowers for brides, on their cake, in there bouquets, and apart of table arrangements. In Europe, the peony is also referred as “the rose without thorns.” The cultivation of peonies in France has captured the flowers’ fragrant essence into perfumes. They bloom in June, also a popular month for brides to choose for there wedding dates, and each year the plant gains in foliage. Generally they are  pink or white in color, but we had the most delicate purple and white plant in our first yard. The aroma is intoxicating as is the beauty of the flower. Peonies are said to hold your secrets in their tightly bond petals, regardless they mesmerize you with their majestic elegance.

I based my peony off this plant.

Peony Spray:

I am having a blast creating these cakes for Sydney to choose from!

Equipment:

• Grove board, CC
• Ceramic veining tool, HH
• Peony petal veiner, SKGI or JR
• Peony leaf veiner, SKGI
• Dresden Tool, FMM
• Peony Cutter, CP
• Fine scissors, embroidery
• Ball tool
• Plain cutting wheel, PME
• 50mm Blossom cutter, OP
• Medium CElstick
• Steamer, ISAC,optional
• Nile green wire, 28 gauge
• White wire, 24 gauge, 26 gauge, & 18 gauge for the peony bud
• Nile green floral tape
• Artist Brushes
• Cosmetic sponge
• Foam pad
• Madeline pan, for laying the petals, or an egg former
• Paper towel
• Parchment paper
• Needle nose pliers
• Floral Foam
• Pasta machine, optional
• Heavy plastic mat
• Green cutting mat,NL

Materials:

• Gumpaste/ sugar paste
• Food paste, electric purple, electric pink, regal purple
• Petal dust:
• Aubergine, CC
• Vine, SKGI
• Foliage, CC
• Edelweiss, SKGI
• Daffodil mixed with magnolia, CC
• Violet, CK
• African Violet, CK
• Rose pink, CK
• Gumpaste
• Edible glue
• Egg white

 Color your gumpaste, you  will need light yellow for the ovary and stamens, light green for the leaves, and for the peony petal I mixed 1/2 toothpick of electric purple, 1/8 toothpick electric pink, 1/8 toothpick regal purple.

Prepare your mise en place.

Stamen mise en place

Ovary and Stamens:

You will need to create your ovary and Stamens first.

The Ovary:

Cut 2 28 gauge wires in fourths, with fine needle nose pliers bend a small hook on one end of each cut wire. Using your well kneaded light yellow gumpaste/sugar paste, roll a pea size ball. Thread a wire, lightly dipped in egg white, through the top of the cone, the hooked side should reside in the centre of the ball. Gently thin the top of the ball into a fine tipped cone. Pinch the fine tip with your fore finger and thumb curl the top and create a ridge.

While the still pliable, color the ovary sections completely with yellow petal dust, the tip with vine and tinge of aubergine. Tape the section closely together, with the curl side pointing outwards and bend the wires with your needle nose pliers. Place the centre into a floral foam.

The Stamens:

After a few failed attempts to create realistic stamens, I accidentally, with some inspiration from DF found a brilliant method.  Roll a small log of yellow paste into a log, dip 28 gauge wire into an egg white, wipe off the excess, and thread the wire through the log. Next smoosh the log and vein the flatten log with the peony petal veiner. Using the side of your dresden tool to add veins, now use the dresden tool on the backside and draw the dresden tool from the outside to the centre, repeat for 11 more.

Color the entire stamens with daffodil and magnolia petal dust, and petal dust the bottom of each stamen with vine.

Attach your stamens 3 at a time to the ovary, arrange the stamens with fine needle nose pliers, and place in a floral styrofoam square to dry.

The Petals:

If you have a peony petal cutter set, there should be four cutters in your set. You will need five small petals, five medium small petals, five of medium large, and 10 of the largest size.

If you do not have a peony cutter set you can use various sizes of rose petals, and cut the petal into a peony shape. (I noticed google has a plethora of peony templates).

The First Five Petals: 

Roll your special purple/pink colored gumpaste thinly over the groove board, lift the grooved paste with an off-set spatula, and transfer to a cutting mat. Cut your petals out with the smallest cutter, take care that the groove is in the centered of the bottom portion of the cutter. Cut all five petals, and place four of the petals under your plastic mat.

Dip a 26 gauge wire in egg white and thread the wire through your grooved portion, about 1/3 up the petal, and pinch the bottom of the petal onto the wire. Next vein the petal, release the petal from the veiner onto a foam mat using a metal ball tool half on the edge of the petal and half on the foam roll to add movement. Taking a ceramic veining to roll in a fan motion, repeat on the opposite side. Next take your dresden tool, use the side to create outer veins from 1/3 up the petal. Using the same tool on the back of the side draw from the outer petal toward the centre, the petal should begin to cup. Lay the wired petal on a madeline pan to retain the shape. An egg former will work well, or you can design a former with kitchen paper towel.

Repeat the same method for the all the petals, with the exception of the largest petals you will need a 24 gauge wire to hold the petal.

Once your petals have dried at least four hours dust the petal. Mix 1/8-teaspoon violet, 1/8-teaspoon african violet, and 1/16-teaspoon aubergine. Use a soft flat brush to brush from base  towards the edges. Then brush from the edges towards the base. Add a little touch of vine petal dust at the bottom of the petal. Repeat with all the other petals, keeping in mind the large petal should have a more faded look.

Tape each of the petals about 1-inch down with nile green floral tape. I find it is ease for me to add one petal at time to the centre ovary, beginning with the smallest. Hang the peony upside down to dry completely.

 The Calyx:

I used a five petal blossom cutter for the calyx on the open peony and a calyx cutter on the bud, both works brilliantly. Roll light green gumpaste/ sugar paste in a pasta machine to #4 or 5, or you can roll the paste by hand. Using your five petal blossom cutter, cut out one calyx. Place the the gumpaste blossom on a foam mat, using the the opposite end of a medium size Celstick (you can use your ball tool) frill the calyx enough to add movement.

Colour the calyx with yellow and vine petal dust.

To attach the calyx prepare your cosmetic pad, with a needle tool push a hole in the cosmetic pad. Pace the calyx on the cosmetic pad, and brush little edible glue from the centre of the calyx to 1/4 up each petal. Using the needle tool again, place a little hole through the centre of the calyx.

Gingerly, while the calyx is still pliable  push the stem of the peony through the hole of the calyx, turn the peony upside down on your hand, and push the calyx onto the bottom of the peony. Use the cosmetic pad to place the calyx’s leaves into place. The cosmetic pad is a Nicholas Lodge idea.

Once the the peony is dry, steam it gently to set the colour and give it a POP.

The Peony Leaves:

I realized I did not own a set of peony leaves, so I used the FMM assorted leaf cutter. Roll your light green gumpaste thinly on your groove board,  Transfer the paste to your cutting mat, and cut out six leaves at a time.  Place five of the paste leaves under your plastic mat. Thread a 26 gauge wire in the thick part of the groove, pinch the leaf on the bottom to the wire.Vein your leaf with a peony leaf veiner, release the leaf on your foam pad. Using the ball tool half on the outer leaf and half on the foam pad. Use the dresden tool to deepen the veins. Hold the tip of the leaf and the bottom, gently pinch and exaggerate the center vein and create a slender leaf.

You want the leaf to dry in a “V” shape. Once dry, colour the leaves, one at time, with light  green covering the vine starting at the base and fanning out to edge, layer with a slightly heavier dusting of foliage, and accent the center and an edge with aubergine.

Assemble Leaves:

Peony leaves have three leaves per branch, with one leaf in the centre and the two on either side. Tape the leaves together with nile green tape and steam the leaves. Once the leaves have dried brush with glaze.

I added a few Tuberoses and buds in the same colour theme as the peony and bud. Sydney arranged the flowers and leaves on the cake. I must admit it is wonderful having her home for Mother’s Day.

She fell in love with the peony cake, but I have a few cakes to create for her choose from, she might need a little help.

I hope you have fun creating your own peony cake!

I adore the Tuberoses!

Enjoy!

Voila!

Fabric Fondant 21st birthday cake!

I posted  a few days ago Sydney will be turning 21, and I am creating a few different cakes for her to choose from for her party. This is the first cake for her to view. This cake is a billow weave, Susan Trianos has a wonderful video explaining how she creates a wonderful tufted billow weave cake. The first time I saw the billow weave I thought of Sydney, between her love of fashion and fondant cakes, I knew she would adore the fabric fondant cake.

Generally, Sydney and I will construct a cake together via FaceTime, it is fun to create the same cake in two time zones; however I didn’t want her to see the cake until it was finished. She saw the cake for the first time when she proof read the last post Fabric Sugar Paste Rose. As I suspected she was delighted with the fabric look.

Fabric Billow Weave:

I loved created this cake!

Equipment:

• Square cutter 2-1/2×2-1/2
• Plastic mat
• Scroll mold, MYOM
• Button mold, MYOM
• Straight pins
• Ruler
• Scriber
• Paint brush
• Small fondant rolling pin
• Airbrush, optional
• Pasta machine
• 6×4-inch crumb coated cake or 6×4 cake dummy
• 8×4-inch cake or cake dummy
• Plastic cups, 6
• 6 hollow dowels or lollypop sticks
• Flat brush
• Artist #4 round brush
• Susan Trianos DVD

Material:

• Fabric Fondant Rose, leaves and calyx, created at least one day prior
• 880 grams Wedding WhiteFondant, Fondarific
• 125 grams Gumpaste/Sugar paste
• Airbrush colours, pearl white and pearl pink
• Food paste, fade-proof pink, Americolor
• Artist paint brush, stiff & round
• Bowl of water
• Cornstarch
• Edible glue
• Royal icing

Prepare your mise en place.

Mise en place

Medallions/Buttons:

You will want to create your medallions first. Choose any type of  medallion or button mold that will fit between the billows. I choose a knot button mold designed by Marina Sousa.

Take a piece of well knead gumpaste,roll the paste into a ball and push into your prepare lightly cornstarch mold. Pop the medallion out and allow the medallion/button to dry for at least four hours.

Airbrushing:

Shake your airbrush well, place a few drops in your air brush. Place the medallions/buttons on a baking pan (I used a pizza pan) lined with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Begin to air brush the main color (I used pearlized white). Once all the medallions/buttons have been airbrushed use a round #4 brush and paint the accent colour.

Allow the painted medallions/buttons to dry for 24 hours. The paste needs to fully dry.

If you do not own an air brush you can hand paint the medallions/buttons.

The Billows:

Knead and color 425 grams of fondant pale pink. Cover an 8×4-inch cake with 425  grams of  pale pink fondant. Smooth fondant well. Begin marking your cake with straight pins space 2-inches apart. Once your cake is marked with all the pins place a ruler lengthwise on the cake from each pin to the bottom and mark the bottom with a scriber, Each of the bottom marks should align with each pin on the top of the cake. Remove your pins.

Knead 125 grams of the pale pink fondant with 125 grams of gumpaste, creating a 50/50 paste. For each row of billows you will need 62 grams of 50/50  paste, for an 8×4 cake, you will be adding four rows of 12 billows. Place all but 62 grams of 50/50 paste in a plastic bag to keep the paste from drying out. Roll the 62 grams into a rectangle and place the 50/50 paste in a pasta machine. Gradually roll the 50/50 paste to #4.

You should have a long 4-inch wide strip, cut out 12 squares 2-1/2-inch squares. Place eleven square under your plastic mat to keep them moist. Brush edible glue on the edge of one side of 2-1/2-inch square, pleat the edge as you would for a fondant bow, gently pinch the pleats closed, and repeat for the other side. Open, puff up the billow and place the billow under a plastic cup to slow down the drying process (your billows should be able to hold it’s shape, but still be pliable to attach to the cake). Continue the same procedure on next eleven billows. Two billows will fit under one plastic cup.

Susan Trianos has a secret to opening the billows. I recommend buying the DVD, it is wonderful.

Place the the Billows on the Cake: 

First Row:

Begin attaching the billows, in the order you created them, on the bottom of the cake. Using your flat brush, brush a circle of water between the two 2 1/2-inch marks on the bottom of the cake, align one side of the pleated billow on the first scriber mark and the opposite side of pleated billow to the adjacent  scriber mark press the pleats firmly to attach, continue to brush a little water between the billow and mark. Attach the second billow just over lapping the first  billow pleat and the little scriber mark. Place your button/medallion on the pleats between the billows to create an impression of the medallion/button for later.

Second and Third Row:

You need 62 grams of 50/50 paste for the second row and an additional 62 grams of 50/50 paste for the third row.

The 2-1/2-inch square will be pleated the same way for both rows. Work with 12 squares at a time, placing them like before cutting and pleating the third row. Place your finished billows under a plastic cup to slow the drying process down. Your billows should be able to hold it’s shape, but still be pliable to attach to the cake.

To begin the second row mark the cake, all the way around. You will scribe a mark above where  each of billow’s pleated ends are attached. Evaluate success of the second row; the puffy section of the billow will be correspond directly above the pleated section of the first row of billows. The third is mark in the same manor, evaluate success, the third row’s puffy section of the billow should align with the first (bottom row).

Remember to impress your button/medallion in between the billows on adjoining pleats.

Second Tier and Border:

The fourth row of billows overlap the cake, you will want to add the top tier in place and add your border prior to attaching the fourth row of billows.

With your scriber tool or toothpick mark 6 equally separated marks to the 8 inch cake, remove the smart marker or the cake board, gentle push the lollypop sticks/or hollow dowels in the marked points, making sure to go all the way down to the cake board, mark your hollow dowels 1/32-inches above the cake. Remove the dowels, line them up to check the lines are even, cut the hollow dowels on the mark, place them back inside the corresponding holes (check with the cake board for evenness). Once the dowels are ready royal icing the middle section surrounded by the dowels, center, and lay the next tier on top of the dowels. Add your border of choice, I chose a rope.

I proceded to decorate the top tier with scrolls, I used sculpted scrolls and airbrushed the scrolls with the same pearlized pink airbrush color, and attached with a brush and a little water.

Fourth Row and Scrolls:

Now that you have tiered your cake and added your border it is time to finish the last row of billows.Roll your 50/50 paste to #4 on a pasta machine, cut with your square cutter, pleat your billows, and place them under your plastic cup as you finish the billows. Brush between the marks you created with the straight pins, attach the your first billow on the fourth flatten the pleat, each flatten pleat should cover the pin mark. To evaluate the fourth row success the puffy part of billow should align with second row billows.

Finally Assembly :

Attach the beautiful fabric sugar paste rose you made earlier. I chose to use sculpted scrolls, airbrushed the scrolls with the pearlized pink airbrush color I used for the buttons, and attached with water.

Attaching the Medallions/Buttons:

 Mix the scraps of 50/50 and/or fondant  with edible glue to a gooey consistency apply the goop to the back of the buttons/medallions, press the buttons into the impressions you placed as you attached the billows.

Designing this cake was a labor of love, I can’t wait to see which cake Sydney will choose. I plan on having 4 to 5 different cakes and toppers for her to pick from. She might need help.

I hope you will have as much fun as I did creating your own cake. Don’t forget to look at Susan Trianos DVD, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Pink is Sydney’s signature colour!

Enjoy!

Voila!

]]> http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/05/01/fondant-billow-weave-tutorial/feed/ 8 http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/04/27/sugar-paste-rose-tutorial/ http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/04/27/sugar-paste-rose-tutorial/#comments Sun, 28 Apr 2013 01:30:31 +0000 bobbienoto http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/?p=10763

Simple and elegant

I love a full open rose sitting on top of a cake. It is a simple touch of elegance. I had planned on designing a few cakes for Sydney to choose from for 21st birthday party. The first element I need is for her to choose from is the type of topper; she is leaning towards  a flower. She wanted to see a few different types, last year we designed Butterfly Orchids for her birthday cake. This year she hasn’t a clue, so I thought I would start with the rose, but I wanted to have a fabric quality to match the cake design, (I plan to explain the cake design in another post).

I found a perfect rose at a flower shop, The Pink Graduate and designed the gumpaste on this cake to resemble the Pink Graduate.  Generally pink roses are  given to those whom you want to show thankfulness, admiration, and happiness. Perfect for how I fell about my daughter, Sydney!

Sugar Paste Roses:

The rose looks so carefree!

Equipment:

• Rose petal cutters, OP
• Rose leaf cutters, OP
• Calyx cutter, OP
• Foam Pad
• Ball tool
• Rose letal veiner, SKGI
• Rose leaf veiner. SKGI
• Ceramic stick, HP
• Scriber tool
• Paper towel
• Parchment paper
• 24, 26 and 28 gauge white and green wire
• White floral tape
• Nile green floral tape
• Celformer
• Ridge broad
• Pasta machine, optional
• Plastic spoon

Materials:

• White gum paste or sugar paste
• Green food paste
• Pink food paste
• Magenta petal dust, CK
• Fairy pink petal dust, Cc
• Buttercup yellow petal dust, CK
• American beauty petal dust, NL
• Cosmo petal dust, CK
• Vine green petal dust, SKGI
• Aubergine petal dust, SKgI
• Foliage green petal dust, CC
• Edible vanish, CK
• Egg white
• Cornstarch
• Crisco

 Prepare your mise en place and color your gumpaste/sugar paste.

Sugar paste rose mise en place

The Bud: 

Forth and Fifth layer

This fabric fondant rose is built in the former, you do not need to wire each petal. Prepare your 24 gauge wire, with a small pair of needle nose pliers bend the top part into an open hook. Shape a small piece of fondant into a cone or egg shape about 2/3 the size of your smallest petal. Dip the hook end of your 24 gauge wire into your egg white and insert the wire into the cone end of your egg/cone shaped bud. Set in a floral foam to dry overnight.

 Roll your pale pink gumpaste/sugar paste with your small fondant rolling pin, place the paste in a pasta machine and gradually roll the paste to a number 6 (if your pasta machine’s largest opening is 0, if your largest opening is a higher number adjust to match the thinness).Cut 9 petals with the smallest petal cutter and place the petals under the plastic mat. Use your ball tool to soften the edges. Use a rolling method to just soften the rough edges, and do not frill the small petals. Once all the petal are soften moisten each petal, one at a time, with egg white. Wrap the first petal around the cone, continue to wrap two more petals in the same manor. Moisten the next three petals, one at a time, for the second layer.  Add the petals this time leaving the right side slightly open, in order to tuck the next petal underneath. The petals should be spiraled. Place the rose bud back in the floral foam.

Yes there might be 3 extra petals, best to be safe than sorry. If you did not need to use the extra petals knead them and add the paste back to the pink paste to be used again.

The Petals:

For a fabric rose effect we found building the rose from the outside in works best.

First Layer

Roll the sugar paste to a # 6 on the pasta machine. Cut out 15 petals, using the largest petal cutter. Place the cut petals under your plastic mat, to keep the paste from drying out (you will only need 9, but to be safe we like having a few extra for breakage). Take one of petals lay it on your foam pad, using the ball tool to soften the edges, add a slight frill, and add movement to the petal. Vein the petal with your petal veiner, place the petal on the bottom veiner, close the top petal veiner over the sugar paste petal, and press. Place the vein petal back on the foam pad and hollow out the centre, using your ball tool. Place the petal on a plastic spoon to hold the shape while slightly drying.

Second Layer and Third Layer

Roll out the pale pink pink paste to a #6 on a pasta machine, or you may roll the paste by hand (you should be able to see through the paste, like tissue paper). Using the next size down from the largest size, cut 16  petals, 12 petals are what you will need. Place the petals under a plastic mat to keep them moist. Place one petal on the foam pad soften the edges and vein the petal as you did before, but this time you do not need to hollow the petal’s centre. Place the petal on a plastic spoon to hold the shape while slightly drying.

Dusting and Layering in the Former:

Once the sugar paste petals are dry enough to hold it’s shape, however still pliable to form on the Celformer, colour the petals with petal dust and lustre dust. Roses have a few colours in each petal, for this rose I chose yellow for the base, and built the shades of pinks in the centre, and brush just the lip of the top of the petal. If you study a rose they are generally dark in the centre and fade in colour as the petals open. You can also are brush the petals if you prefer.

Layering the Petals:

After you have dusted the petals place the largest petal on the bottom or the first layer on the former. Moisten the point/bottom and lower side of the petal with edible glue, arrange the nine petals how you prefer them to lay, and be sure they slightly overlap on the right-hand-side. As you arrange your petals be sure to tuck them under the previous petal. Proceed the same way with the next two layers, slightly cupping upwards as you place the petals, again be sure to slightly overlap. With a scriber too gently create a hole in the centre of the flower and pull the wire bud through the whole. Set safely aside to dry while you create your cake.

Calyx and Leaves:

Roll some light green sugar paste/gumpaste to a #4 on the pasta machine (if you do not have a pasta machine roll by hand). Cut one calyx with the calyx cutter. Roll the gum paste slightly on a ridge broad, 5 large leaves with the large leaf cutter, and three small leaves. You will need four large leaves and two small..extra leaves are for breakage.

Place the leaves under the plastic mat and calyx on the foam pad. Soften the edges with a ball tool and cup/hollow the centre of calyx. Thread each leaf half of the way into the ridge, and use 28 gauge floral wire. Soften and vein with a rose leaf veiner, add some movement to the leaves, and pinch the leaf from the back to exaggerate the centre vein. Place little pieces of foam or paper towel under the leaves to dry with the movement.

Dusting Calyx and Leaves: 

I dusted the calyx completely with a mixture of 50/50 of buttercup yellow and vine green. I then layered the calyx with foliage  and little aubergine on the edges. The leaves are dusted with same colours as the calyx, however once the leaves dry I varnished them with an edible varnish. Allow the leaves to dry overnight after varnishing, place in the floral foam. Use the scriber tool to create a hole, gently place the wire rose through the calyx hole, and twist the sides of the calyx slightly to resemble movement.

Generally, prepared floral roses have three to six leaves arranged per rose. I chose to to do two sets of two large leaves with each set having one small leaf. Floral wrap two large leaves together with nile green floral tape, about 1/8 down add the small leaf, and continue to wrap with the nile green floral tape. Repeat for the second set.

I suppose I will be creating a few more flowers and cakes for Sydney to choose from since her birthday is not until August.

Have fun creating your own open fabric fondant rose, or roses.

The cake has a calming effect!

Enjoy!

Voila!

Spring is finally here!

It would seem Colorado wants to hold onto winter, we have had 3 major snow storms every Tuesday for the last 3 weeks; today we finally seem to be warming up. I thought if I decorated some daisy cupcakes I might give colorado a punch in the arm, so to speak. If know anything about Sydney and I we love warm weather, once Christmas has past we start dreaming of the balmy spring days.

Sydney and I find use out of the t-shape parchment paper under a piece cellophane and visualizing the nail head is a clock to insure realistic daisies every time. Sydney had the idea of the “T” shape parchment to guarantee your daisy will have 12 equal petals. After piping quite a few daisies you will find that you are able to pipe beautiful daisy without using the “T” guide.

Royal Icing Daisies:

Yellow and orange give a warm glow!

Material:

• 1-recipe for cupcakes
• 1-recipe for royal icing, off peak consistency
• 2-tone method
• Daffodil or lemon color paste
• Sunset orange color paste
• Leaf green color paste
• Chocolate brown color paste
• Sparkle sanding sugar

Equipment:

• Petal tip pme #57R, wilton #101, or ateco #102 tube/tip
• Leaf tip, PME # ST52
• Pme#52
• PME write  # 2 and #3 open tip/tube, or PME 3 7
• Couplers
• Piping bags or parchment cones
• 1- icing nail
• Cellophane squares
• Superfine sugar
• Parchment paper squares, pre cut for the nail head
• Toothpicks
• Pme Icing Stand
• Pre-cut cellophane square

Prepare your mise en place.

Royal icing mise en place

Full Daisy:

Prepare three royal icing cones or bags, one fitted with a petal tip, one with a leaf tip, and either a star tip or #3 open tip. For the petal tip bag pipe a line of off peak consistency  white royal icing from the narrow end of the tip/tube. Pipe off peak yellow royal icing from the wide end of the tip, you will want a ratio of 3/4 yellow and 1/4 white. Fit another piping cone/bag with a coupler and PME #2 (you will need to change to a #St52 leaf tip/tube for the leaves) and fill half the cone/bag with a spring green, and for for the last bag fit the cone/bag with a star tip or open tip and fill half the cone/bag with orange royal icing.

Cut  20 1.5-inch/3.8 cm squares of parchment paper with a t-shape guide, and 28 cellophane squares. Using the royal icing as a glue attach the parchment paper guide, and then attach the cellophane square to the parchment paper.  Add a drop dot in the middle of the t-shape, place the wide end of your petal tip/tube, angling the narrow end slightly up, on the center dot. With even pressure, and the icing nail facing you, begin to pipe as you move the petal 1.28 cm/ 1/2-inch toward the outside edge of the nail. Turn the icing nail slightly counter clockwise, and bring the petal tip down to the starting point (keeping the petal slightly above the nail to achieve a curve). Continue to pipe the petals close together, following the t-shaped guide, each quad should have three petals including the line you began on. Once you have the petals correctly piped following the guide you may remove the t-shaped guide. The guide will help you achieve the 12 petals. Allow the daisies to dry completely; this step can be done days ahead of time.

Profile Daisy:

  For a profile daisy, pipe six petals closely together, using the t-shape guide on the vertical line, and once the six petals are piped, pipe six additional petals slightly smaller, and between the first six petals.

 Center of the Daisies:

Once the full daisies and profile daisies have dried, have a prepared cone or bag fitted with a a #3 open tube/tip or #7 PME star tip/tube,pipe either a star center or peak a round center with off peak consistency icing, immediately after piping the center sprinkle with sanding sparkle sugar. Allow to dry.

Adding Leaves and Assemble:

Prior to attaching the daisies pipe a 2 to 3 “C” scrolls vines (for a cupcake). To attach the daisies to either  a cupcake, cookie, or cake pipe a small amount of royal icing on the back of the daisy, place the daisy on the vine. Add a few leaves.

Hopefully spring has already sprung in your town, state, country either way celebrate spring with royal icing daises!

This is a great activity to teach your children/grandchildren!

Enjoy!

Voila!

Romance is in the air!

I was organizing my cookie cutters, and I came across a beautiful copper corset cookie cutter Sydney had given last summer. I couldn’t believe I had not used it yet. Since Sydney loves fondant I covered them in strawberry flavored and mocha-cinnamon fondant, from Fondarific. The decorative details are piped in royal icing. While  Sydney and I were FaceTiming she suggested they would look best 3-D on a fondant molded stand with royal icing string work.

Corset Sugar Cookies:

This is a brilliant way to use cake decorating piping techniques, without baking a cake!

Equipment:

• Corset cookie cutters
• Square cookie cutters
• Jewel mold
• PME icing bag stand
• Fondant smoothers
• Fondant rolling pin
• Parchment cones/cornets
• PME tip/tube 1.5
• Artist brushes
• Pasta Machine, optional
• PME scriber needle tool

Materials:

• 1-recipe for Vanilla Sugar Cookies
• 1-recipe for Royal Icing, soft peak consistency
• Fondant
• Food color paste, your choice
• Pearl petal dust
• Piping gel
• Edible glue

Prepare your mise en place.

Decorating mise en place

The Corset

Knead and roll your fondant to 1/8-inch thick either by hand or on a pasta machine. Using the corset cutter cut out a fondant corset, brush a thin layer of piping on the top of the sugar cookie lay the fondant corset on the cookie, and smooth with fondant smoothers.

Prepare your royal icing cornets or piping bags, fitted with a PME 1.5 tip/tube of soft peak icing. To test that your royal icing is the correct consistency pipe a line from your fore finger to your middle finger, move your fingers slightly up and down; if the line doesn’t break quickly you are good to go! If you prefer to cut the tip of the cornet to the correct piping size in lieu of using a tip/tube that works fine as well. However I would not place the cornet in the holder, instead place a straight pin in the whole, (this will keep the icing from developing a crust).

 Begin piping the outer details of the corset. Hold the bag in your hand like you are holding a coffee mug, release pressure from the top of your hand to the bottom. Touch the tip at your starting point, lift the tip up and use your other hand’s fore finger to guide your line and curves. When you have reached your stopping point stop the pressure and bring the tip down to connect to the previous piped line.

Once you have piped your outer lines of definition start adding the decorative touches; have fun and be creative. We piped beads, string work swags, little “xs to resemble the corset string, and tiny bows.”

The Decorative Stand

 For the stand we used a jeweled mold, mixed cinnamon bun flavored fondant with mocha flavored fondant (a favorite flavor). Placed a square sheet of fondant in the mold and pressed the fondant to create the jewel. I had already attached a plan square of fondant on the cookie, by using the same square size cutter I had used for the cookies, cleaning the sides, and brushing a thin layer of piping gel on the cookies to adhere the fondant. To bind the jeweled fondant use edible glue or water on the edges and align in place. I placed the cookie on a plastic container, upside down, and proceeded to pipe swags around the cookie.

The Swags

 Mark your cookie. Using a scriber tool or toothpick, mark on the fondant on the cookie’s surface in the center of each square, measure 1 mm from each center mark, scribe the 1mm. Use where the fondant and cookie meet as your guide for length.

 With a slight amount of pressure pipe a string on your royal icing from the the first scriber mark to the next scriber mark, and continue around the cookie. To add a swag in-between pipe from the middle of the first swag to the middle of next swag and continue around the cookie. To add beads to the swag, use bead consistency royal icing to add beads to  your swag markers. Keep your beads evenly spaced. The closer your tip/tube is to the cookie the more control of gravity you will have on your swag.

The stand and corset were brushed with pearl petal lustre and disco white.

Assemble:

You have a few mediums to attach the dress cookie to the jewel stand, Royal icing, chocolate melts with freeze dry, or what I chose fondant glue. Take the extra pieces of fondant and add a few drops of water, at a time, smoosh the mixture with a mini straight frosting spatula until it becomes gooey. Apply the fondant glue to the stand and the bottom of the dress cookie, place the two pieces together, and hold for a few seconds or until the corset stands by it’s self.

These corset cookies have an elegant touch when using cake decorative piping techniques.

The cookies are a little time consuming due to the piping, but they are loads of fun to create and look brilliant.

The fondant seals the cookies and keeps them soft and fresh, fresh enough to send  a college care package to Sydney!

Enjoy!

Romance is in the air!

Voila!

]]> http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/04/17/string-work-and-lambeth-royal-icing-tutorial/feed/ 3 http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/04/10/3-d-ruffled-ombre-sugar-cookie-tutorial/ http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/04/10/3-d-ruffled-ombre-sugar-cookie-tutorial/#comments Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:23:36 +0000 bobbienoto http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/?p=10656

Ready to party!

I have been watching General Hospital for 48 of the 50 years it has aired on ABC, my grandma and I would await for every new adventure each day at 2:00 pm CT. I skipped school on November 17th 1981 to watch Luke and Laura”s wedding, I actually missed a few more days leading up to the event. I cried in 1994 when Maxie Jones needed a heart transplant; her recipient being her cousin BJ and again in 1995 when Stone Cates died. I inadvertently turned Sydney, my daughter, into a GH fan in 2006 when Luke remarried Laura on their 25th wedding anniversary.

This past week in half General Hospital has been celebrating their 50th anniversary by reinitiating the Nurse’s Ball. In 1994 Lucy Coe had a wonderful idea to raise money for AIDS with a gala celebration where Port Charles’s best and brightest could watch and participate. The event was a collection of musical performances starring doctors, nurses,   and a surprise guest or two. I was, of course watching the anniversary along with Sydney via FaceTime (she is in college in D.C.), when I spotted little Emma’s purple dress and had to duplicate the garment with a delicious 3-D sugar cookie.

3-D Ruffled Dress:

This dress could be a prom dress as well!

Equipment:

• Blossom Wedding Dress
• Blossom wedding dress stamp
• Jewel mold
• Ribbon cutter
• Veining tool,HP
• Celstick/Celpin
• Fondant rolling pin
• Fondant smoother
• Fondant floral pad, OP
• Mini pizza wheel, or craft knife
• Toothpicks
• Artist brushes
• Cornstarch
• Parchment paper cone

Materials

• Fondant, colored in ombre purple (Fondarific)
• Fondant, ivory
• Food paste
• Petal dust,African Violet, NYCake & Violet, Ck
• Lustre dust, Old Gold, CK
• Vodka
• Edible glue,pre-made
• Royal icing, ivory colored and bead consistency

Prepare your Ombre colored fondant, we chose purple, but choose your favorite color. Seal the fondant in plastic wrap and place in sandwich bags.

Prepare your mise en place.

Ruffled Ombre dress mise en place

The Dress:

Knead your fondant, roll the fondant to a #1 on a pasta machine or 3 mm/1/8-inch, cut the fondant with your blossom cutter, and with your ribbon cutter, set to the smallest width cut two strips of each color. Transfer the fondant strip to your pad and begin to frill the strip, roll the veining tool back and forth until you are satisfied with the frill.  Only cut and frill one color at time.

Brush piping gel on the cookies and attach the the frilled strip. Work with one ombre color and cookie at a time, we found two strips pre color work brilliantly. Work from the bottom of the dress to the bodice. Attach each strip as close as possible without laying the fondant frill strips on top of one another, each strips should be attached to the cookie.

For the Bodice:

Knead the darkest color of ombre colors, roll the fondant to a #1 on a pasta machine or 3 mm/1/8-inch, cut the fondant with your blossom cutter, and with your mini pizza wheel cutter cut the bodice portion of the dress. Transfer the bodice to a foam pad and use your veining tool to frill the bottom of the bodice.

Apply more piping gel to the bodice portion of the cookie and attach the bodice fondant piece to the cookie.

Decorating the Ruffle Dress:

Now that your dress is all dressed-up in ruffles, gingerly open the ruffles, starting from the bottom and work your way up to the bodice. Use the blunt end of the Celpin to open the ruffles.

On a piece of parchment paper place African violet and violet, sprinkle cornstarch on the side. Mix the two violets together and mix cornstarch with an artist brush. Proceed to brush the petal dust mixture on the ruffles, allowing the excess to fall into the lower ruffles. Petal dust the bodice as well.

Mix your vodka with old gold petal lustre in a little jar, the mixture should ripple on the bottom for a perfect consistency.

With an artist paint brush, only used for food, accent the edges of the ruffles.

Fill a parchment paper cone with bead consistency royal icing, leaving a small hole. Pipe beads on the neckline and on the bottom of the bodice.

The Stand:

The 3-D cookie could be place card for a sweet 16 or graduation party!

There is something extra special about a 3-D cookie. For the stand we used a jeweled mold, mixed cinnamon bun flavored fondant with mocha flavored fondant. Placed a square sheet of fondant in the mold to create the jewel. We painted the jewel with old gold.

Assemble:

A sleeker version!

You have a few mediums to attach the dress cookie to the jewel stand, Royal icing, chocolate melts with freeze dry, or what I chose fondant glue. Take the extra pieces of fondant add a few drops of water, at a time, smoosh the mixture with a mini straight frosting spatula until it become gooey. Apply the fondant glue to the stand and the bottom of the dress cookie, place the two pieces together, and hold for a few seconds or until the dress is standing without aide. If any of the glue peeks out paint it with the old gold/vodka paint.

My grandmother shared her love (or obsession) of General Hospital with me, and I in urn shared my love of General hospital with my daughter/best friend, Sydney. I wonder will she be sharing the soap opera with her child?

Happy 50th Anniversary General Hospital!

Enjoy!

Voila!

]]> http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/04/10/3-d-ruffled-ombre-sugar-cookie-tutorial/feed/ 12 http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/04/02/fondant-platform-stilleto-high-heel-shoe-tutorial/ http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/04/02/fondant-platform-stilleto-high-heel-shoe-tutorial/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:29:57 +0000 bobbienoto http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/?p=10584

What a special cake topper?

Shoes are the number one accessory; women brag about how many pairs of shoes they have in their closet. Mariah Carey had Mario Buatta design an elegant space with gold-leaf and bleached-wood floors for her stilettos. Although my husband has to share his closet with my left over shoes I do not have a special built room just for my shoes, I would not object to one! I admit I adore shoes, wearing them, looking at them, and shopping for them, so it only seems obvious that a shoe would be a popular cake topper. For the past few years fashion cakes have become popular.

When I decided to write a tutorial on fondant/gumpaste shoes I quickly learned there was a very limited amount of information on how to create a realistic platform stiletto high heel shoe. I finally went to talk to a shoe cobbler, who else could explain the structure of a platform high heel.

Purple Passion Stiletto:

Sydney wants a Platform Stiletto Heel cake topper for her 21st birthday cake!

Equipment:

• Styrofoam or cake
• Styrofoam heat tool or sharp blade
• Tissue blade
• X-acto knife
• Wood skewers, two
• Styrofoam block, to hold shoe
• Decorative molds
• Artist brushes
• Needle tool
• Fondant smoother
• Fondant rolling pin
• Sanding block
• Facial mask
• Ribbon cutter
• Fondant covered drum
• Hot glue gun
• Cardboard
• Pasta machine, optional

Materials:

• Fondant, black, purple, and ivory..or your choice
• Tylose powder
• Edible glue
• Crisco

It is possible to create the platform high heel with cake in lieu of the styrofoam. Follow the same instructions except bake a 6×2-inch cake, cut the cake horizontally,  with the platform template cut two platform cake pieces fill the center and cover with a crumb coat of butter cream and marzipan.

Cake platform mise en place

Before you begin your shoe I want to mention that after each step, except for the heel, I place the shoe in the freezer. Placing the shoe in the freezer allowed the extra time to play with each of the designs without the fondant becoming to soft or my fingers leaving prints!

Prepare your mise en place.

Styrofoam mise en place

The platform of the Stiletto:

With a marker trace around the portion of the small sole, cut the foam with a hot tool for foam or use a craft blade.

Put a mask over your mouth  and nose and proceed to sand a slant on the toe portion. Smooth the sides of the styrofoam platform… the smoother  you can get the styrofoam the nicer the fondant will lay.

Cut out all your templates, make sure to cut the small sole on a piece of cardboard. With a hot glue gun, glue the back of the small sole cardboard cut out, at the toe, and attach the template to the styrofoam platform. With a skewer push a small hole through the heel  of the cardboard template. Place the prepared platform with the template on a styrofoam block and set aside.

The Heel:

Prepare mis en place.

The heel mise en place

Begin to soften your purple fondant (or color of choice), add about 1- 2 teaspoon of tylose. The more tylose you add to the fondant the faster your shoe will dry.

Roll the fondant in your hands to create a crease free ball. Turn the ball into a pear shape, elongate the pear to tapered at the bottom about 3mm to 5mm, leaving a wide enough top to fit under the heel form, about 2cm.

Smooth the heel with fondant smoothers.

Carefully and slowly twist a skewer through the top of the heel to the bottom. The skewer needs to be as centered as possible.

Re-shape the heel with your fondant smoothers.

Ivory Decorative Strip:

Knead your tylose prepared ivory fondant, roll the fondant with a fondant rolling pin, and place in a pasta machine to #4 thickness. Cut with a ribbon cutter and taper with a tissue blade. Brush a small amount of edible glue on the front of the heel, attach, and smooth with fondant smoothers.

Cut the top of the heel with a tissue blade straight down.

The Tap:

Take a marble size of kneaded black fondant about 3mm to 5mm/ 1/4-inch thick. Take your heel push the bottom of the skewered heel through the black fondant. Carefully create an impression of the bottom of the heel on the piece of black fondant. Cut the impression mark and glue, with edible glue or sugar water, the black fondant onto the bottom of the heel. Place the heel into the styrofoam block and allow to dry overnight.

The Platform and Sole of the stiletto:

Roll out some black fondant  to a #0 on a pasta machine, generously apply edible glue to the bottom of the styrofoam platform, smooth the black fondant, make sure the black fondant covers the incline toe portion..set aside.

The sole:

Start with the bottom of the sole,  roll out prepared ivory fondant #1 on the pasta machine. Using the larger sole template cut the back of the sole (use x-acto blade), make sure to turn the template to the opposite side for the back sole. Apply a small amount of edible  glue to the back of the cardboard. Attach the ivory fondant to the cardboard. Use you tissue blade to cut the fondant sole back where it meets the styrofoam.

Repeat the exact same steps for the front of the sole, taking care to turn the template right side up. Add the edible glue to the ivory fondant and the top of the cardboard. Smooth the two pieces together until they look like one. Use a small amount of crisco to bind the edges.

The Side of the platform:

Roll out the purple fondant to a #1 on the pasta machine, using a ribbon cutter with separators to the width of the platform and length around 30cm/ 12-inches. Apply a generous amount of edible glue to the side of the styrofoam. Starting at the back of the platform wrap the purple fondant around the sides of the platform. Cut the fondant in the back, so that the two pieces come together. Cut out the toe piece so the black peaks out.

Decorative Inset:

If you look at a Jimmy Choo shoe there is a decorative inset.

Using the decorative inset template (it resembles a fish). Cut a prepared purple sheet of fondant, #3 thickness on a pasta machine apply edible glue to the back of the decorative purple inset and lay it 1/8-inch from the edge of the toe to the start of the back of the heel. For the back of the heel, prepare a sheet of ivory fondant to #3 thickness and cut out the back heel. Use a pounce wheel to add stitching.

Attaching the heel:

Take a small amount of  purple fondant add a generous amount of edible glue to create a fondant glue that will match your heel. with the back of a knife smear the fondant until it becomes gluey. With a small blade apply just enough to adhere to the heel, gently press the back of the heel to the sole. This might take a few minutes to adhere.

Once the heel is attached  cut  the skewer as close to heel as possible.

Designing the shoe:

Heel Strap:

To create a realistic shoe roll out some purple fondant in a pasta machine to #1, lay the fondant on your work station. Roll out some ivory fondant to a #3 on the pasta machine. Place the ivory fondant onto the purple fondant, smooth the two colors with out smooching them together. Using your heel strap template cut out the heel strap to your shoe. Apply glue to the edge and down the sides of the shoe. Be patient it takes a little bit of time to adhere the back strap. You might have to play with the fondant to achieve a good fit.

Peep Toe:

I have included a closed toe template if you would rather have a closed toe shoe. I created a peep toe. Prepare you two sided color as you did for the heel strap. Using the peep toe template cut the two fondants.  Apply your edible glue to the top edge on the front of your shoe, leaving the toe portion alone. Bend the toe strap adhere one side at a time. Place with Viva paper towel, plastic bags, or foam filling under the toe strap, to keep the peep toe from collapsing inward. Allow to dry for several hours to overnight.

Decorating:

The sky is the limit, use your creativity and have fun. I used scroll molds, diamond rhinestone strips, petal dust, and petal lustre.

Here are my templates:

I wanted to mention my husband, of almost 22 years was in the kitchen helping me with the photographs. He mentioned how much he loved the color; I asked him if he liked brilliant purple and found out to my surprise purple is one of his favorite colors. I have known my husband for 25 years and will be married 22 years in june, and I never knew he favored purple. I guess there are always surprises!

The diamond rhinestones adds a special touch

Enjoy!

Voila!

]]> http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/04/02/fondant-platform-stilleto-high-heel-shoe-tutorial/feed/ 8 http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/03/27/two-tone-royal-icing-brush-embroidery/ http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/03/27/two-tone-royal-icing-brush-embroidery/#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:28:41 +0000 bobbienoto http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/?p=10552

What an elegant cookie!

I was showing Sydney a two tone royal icing brush embroidery (that is a mouthful), and she thought the cookies would be a wonderful dessert to create for Mother’s Day. I must say I agree,  the cookies would look exquisite in a clear top box with a blush pink ribbon. In fact I am planning on remaking the exact cookies for my  99 year old grandmother, she taught me my early culinary skills. I can remember when I was in college my grandma would send me care packages of treats. The treats, I admit, did not last long in my dorm or sorority house! I find it apropos  I am sending care package to my grandma as well as my daughter, Sydney.

You will notice I am piping with  parchment cones or cornet; I prefer the parchment paper to a plastic bag for a plethora of reasons first when I am finished using the parchment cone I can throw it away or if I had used a tip it easily can be cut off and the bag can be thrown away. Second I can achieve the smallest hole, smaller than a oo tip for detail work. Third I find my piping is consistent and cleaner with the cone, I can feel the royal icing. Four parchment paper is readily available in my local food store if I run out of triangles I can always create my own triangle from rolled parchment paper.  That being said if I need to pipe grass the tip is very short and I will use a plastic pastry bag. Of course a paling bag is personal preference, use the materials that work best in your hands!

Two Tone Brush Embroidery:

This design is intricate and the original belongs to Eddie Spence.

Equipment:

• Parchment paper cones or bags
• PME tip/tune writer 1.5
• Square # 2 and #4 brush
• Paper towel dry
• Paper towel damp
• PME sponge holder or sponge
• Small bowl
• Pin

Materials:

• Royal icing, off peak consistency
• Piping gel
• Cooled boiled water
• Food paste, brown, electric pink, golden yellow, green electric green, and pink
• Fondant cover cookie or glazed covered

Recipe for Ivory colored Royal Icing:

• 1/8  toothpick electric pink, food paste
• 1/8 toothpick pink, food paste
• 1/4 toothpick golden yellow
• 1/4 toothpick brown

Spring Green:

• 1/4 toothpick electric green
• 1/4 toothpick green

Follow the same instructions as above.

Prepare your mis en place.

Add all your food paste colors and fold. Try not to beat (you do not want to incorporate air into the icing). Continue to fold with a spatula until ivory is achieved.

Prepare your parchment cones fitted with a tip PME #1.5 (or pastry bags) and royal icing colors. We used pink, ivory and spring green. Once your cones or bags have the icing inside place them either in the PME sponge holder or you can lay the tips between a dampened paper towel, I know Colette Peters places a pin in the tip’s hole. The Idea is to keep the air from hitting the icing and the icing crusting over.

Prepare your mise en place.

Two tone royal icing brush embroidery

Pour boiled water in a heat proof glass and allow the water to cool. Roll out your fondant, cut the fondant to fit your cookie,  and attach the fondant to the cookie; you may begin decorating at this point.

You will have 3 pastry cones fitted with a #1.5 tip ready to use; one cornet will have pink, one will have ivory, and the last will the be the spring green royal icing.

If you are a confident artist you can free hand pipe your design on the fondant covered. If the design is intricate I prefer to transfer my design on the fondant cookies with a pin. To transfer the image lay the design on the cookie, follow the lines, and prick them with a pin.

For the Petals

Beginning with the back petals, pipe one petal at a time with a thick zigzag line of the ivory royal icing, switch pastry cones to the pink royal icing, pipe the same thickness zigzag line of the pink inside with the ivory. (The colors should gently touch). Dip your brush in the bowl of cooled boiled water, wipe the excess water off the brush with your dry piece of paper towel, brush from the outer ivory line, but do not break the line, through the pink pulling towards the centre of the petal. Move on to the next petal until the flower is finished.

A successful victorian two tone embroidered design will have a raised royal icing edged petals with inner lines showing both colors and become thinner as the lines reaches the centre of the flower.

Remember to keep your tip either covered, on the sponge, or have a pin in the hole when you have finished using a color.

For the Leaves

Generally I embroider the leaves last working from the back leaves forward, unless the design dictates they need to be embroidered first. Pipe a thick zigzag line of spring green, change piping cones to the ivory, pipe the same zigzag line thickness of ivory inside the green (again the colors should gently touch), and using your lightly dampened brush stroke from the outer spring green, without breaking the line, a diagonal line downwards toward the centre of the leaf. Move to the next leaf following the same method, and continue until all the leaves on your design are finished.

The leaves should have raised royal icing edged with inner lines showing both colors and become thinner as the lines diagonally  reaches the centre of the leaf.

Finishing Touches

We added a few twigs, stamens and buds, opted to not have a border due to the design and colored the icing with petal and lustre dust to add a depth of realism to the flowers.

A box of these Victorian Two Tone Royal Icing Sugar Cookies will bring a smile to any recipient, but the cookies are a nice care package for a special person and any child/children away at school. The last box of cookies I sent Sydney didn’t last two days. College students are the uttermost grateful gift recipients, and grandmothers come a close second!

One of most special memories is decorating treats with my grandmother. Your children or grandchildren will remember decorating these cookies with you forever!

Enjoy!

Voila!

]]> http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/03/27/two-tone-royal-icing-brush-embroidery/feed/ 4 http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/03/20/how-make-royal-icing-lace-cookies-tutorial/ http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/blog/2013/03/20/how-make-royal-icing-lace-cookies-tutorial/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:19:49 +0000 bobbienoto http://bobbiesbakingblog.com/?p=10493

Perfect place cards for Easter dinner!

It was wonderful having Sydney baking and decorating with me this past week, however I admit saying goodbye has become harder as she visits more often. I began realizing our relationship will be a series of visits and goodbyes. She loves living in D.C. and will probably go to graduate school at George Washington University. I am happy to see her become a self assured adult able to live on her own, but I would be lying to myself if I didn’t also admit each time she leaves I have this empty feeling (my heart hurts).

While she was here we were able to bake and design a plethora of pastries. One of the goodies was a vintage lace Easter basket designed from sugar cookies, in which we had a brilliant time laughing and talking while decorating the baskets. We started with a sketch of the design and began. The covering of the cookie is fondant, Sydney’s favorite, and the accents are detailed with royal icing. Both Sydney and I adore the palate sensation of the soft fondant to firm royal icing. The fondant also keeps the cookie soft, a nice added benefit.

Royal Icing Recipe:

Too cute!

• 907 grams / 2-pounds icing sugar
• 247 grams/ 2/3-cup egg white
• 1-teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2-teaspoon almond extract or flavoring of choice

Prepare your mise en place.

In the bowl of a  standing mixer, sift icing sugar twice, add lemon juice and egg whites.

Attach the bowl to the standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat on the lowest speed for ten minutes to reach off-peak consistency. If the royal icing has not soften enough keep beating, on low, in 3 minute increments until off-peak consistency is achieved. Add the almond extract and beat, on low speed, for 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a container and cover with a damp cloth.

Both Sydney and I prefer egg white royal icing, both for taste and texture.

Meringue Powder Royal Icing Recipe:

• 907 grams/ 2 pounds icing sugar
• 80 grams/ 1/4 cup. plus 2 Tablespoons meringue powder, (NOT EGG WHITE POWDER)
• 236 grams/ 1-cup boiled water, cooled to warm
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2-teaspoon almond extract

Prepare your mise en place.

In the bowl of a standing mixer pour warm water whisk (by hand) to a soft peak consistency, sift icing sugar over the mixture, add lemon juice and almond extract. Beat on the lowest speed, with the paddle attachment to reach off-peak consistency. If the royal icing has not soften enough keep beating, on low, in 3 minute increments until off-peak consistency is achieved. Add the almond extract and beat, on low speed, for 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a container and cover with a damp cloth

Vintage Lace Sugar Cookies:

I adore the little bows!

Equipment:

• Basket sugar cookie cutter
• Parchment Paper cones, between 6 to 10
• PME # 1 tip/tube
• PME tip #4
• PME st 51 tip/tube
• Mini egg cutter
• Knife
• Mini off-set spatula
• Fondant rolling pin
• Fondant smoothers
• Pasta Machine, optional
• Dampened paper towel
• Either a PME holder or a damp paper towel folded to cover the parchment filled paper cone
• Plastic art brush
• Turkey trussing needle or pin

Materials:

• Royal icing soft peak consistency
• Royal icing bead consistency, Julia Usher
• Fondant, we use half Cinnamon bun flavor and Mocha
• Fondant, Wedding White, colored in assorted pastel flavors
• Piping gel, clear
• Cooled boiled water
• Food paste, pink, brown, yellow, leaf green, and electric green
• Edible glue, hand made or bought
• 1-Sugar Cookie Recipe

Prepare your Mise en place.

Vintage Royal Icing Lace Easter Basket mise en place

To create the Vintage Lace Basket 

Knead the fondant mixture together, roll the fondant out and place in a pasta machine on #1. Cut the fondant with the basket cookie cutter, keep the basket center.

Turn you cookie to the backside, brush the handle and the rim of the basket with piping gel, attach the inset with the smooth side facing the basket, and smooth.

Turn the cookie upright and attach the basket fondant cut out with piping gel.

Piping the Royal Icing Lace Lines

Fit a parchment paper cone with a PME #1 tip/tube and fill the cone  1/2 way up with soft consistency royal icing, fold the top of cone over.

Check the consistency of the royal icing by piping a line between your fore-finger and second-finger gently wiggle your fingers, if the line does not break you are good to go.

Begin at the bottom of the basket piping horizontal lines, pipe the lines equal distance to the rim. Check your consistency again, if you are good to go pipe vertical lines the same distance as the horizontal lines.

(If your consistency has thicken cut the tip off rinse, pipe the royal icing into a bowl and add cooled boiled water by the drop until your royal icing is soft consistency. Redo another cornet/cone)

Filling the grids

Before you prepare your cornet/cone look at your cookie and decide on the pattern you want.

Create bead consistency royal icing, Julia Usher invented this. Place the bead consistency into a cornet/cone without a tip. Pipe the icing on a work surface if the icing pipes out into a round bead you’re good to go.

I tend to wrap my parchment paper cone without an opening, if this is the case cut straight at the tip to create a small opening. Pipe a bead in the grids to copy your design.

When you have finished  piping the grids pipe decorative beads around your basket.

The lace process is time consuming, start with one basket at time and sit in a comfortable position to pipe.

Filling The Basket with Eggs and The Rope Handle

Prepare your mise en place.

Decorative mise en place

Fit a cone with a PME # 4 tip/tube and fill the basket with an ivory shade, off-peak consistency, royal icing. To achieve ivory add 1/4 drop brown, yellow, and pink food paste fold in with a rubber spatula (that has never been used with fat) until the icing turns ivory and add a 1/4 of a toothpick of piping gel, fold the piping gel until amalgamated. The piping gel will add a shine to the royal icing and allow to pipe longer before drying out.

A rope is just a series of piping of reverse “S” and one “C” shapes to start. Pipe a “S”, holding the cone at a 45 degree angle on the the top and the bottom of the handle. If your “S” shapes are slightly off use a turkey trussing needle to gently more it into shape.

The Eggs

We colored (in pastel yellow, pink, & purple) wrapped, and placed our fondant in plastic bags prior to beginning the project. Knead your colored fondant,  roll the fondant, one color at a time, place in a pasta machine to roll out to a number#2 thickness. (If you do not have a pasta machine the fondant maybe rolled by hand). Cut about 18 to 21 eggs of each color, it takes about 12 eggs to fill the basket. Once the fondant is rolled to desired thickness use the mini egg cutter to cut the eggs out. Cut the eggs 2/3 from the top, before glue the eggs down arrange the eggs to your liking, remove them and use edible glue to the back of  each egg (work with one egg at a time). Starting under the handle glue each egg down, layering them towards the inside rim of the basket. The idea is for the eggs to give the illusion they are in the basket.

Finishing Touches

We chose a to create a small fondant bows at the top of each basket handle. I have not included a tutorial on fondant small bows, due to length and techniques of this. I will be posting a small fondant bow tutorial soon.

Pipe leaves over laying the rim seemed appropriate and quite easy. Fit a cone with a PME tip st 51 leaf tip, fill the paper cone 1/2 way with off-peak spring green royal icing. To achieve the spring green color add 1/4 of tooth pick electric green food paste and 1/4 of a tooth pick green food paste fold the color until amalgamated, add 1/4th of tooth pick of piping gel fold again. Fold the cone closed. Pipe a leaf on your work station if you can pipe the leaf without squeezing so hard that you have given yourself a hernia, you are good to go.

Holding the tip parallel to the rim of the basket, squeezing firmly, stop pressure when the leaf is triangular, and then decreasing pressure as you draw the tip away from the base to form your first leaf. Continue this process until you reach the opposite end of the rim. To achieve the same size leaves use exact amount of pressure on each leaf.

If you need to move any of the leaves slightly use your turkey trussing needle.

The lace part of the basket might be frustrating for a child, but they certainly would have fun cutting the egg from the fondant and placing them in the baskets.

Sydney has been decorating sugar cookies since she was small, teaching your children a fun passion can forge an unbreakable bond. I know Sydney and I have some of our most intimate talks when we are decorating cookies, cupcakes, and cakes.

Happy Easter!

Enjoy!

Voila!