Pansies are vibrant, breathe taking, fragrant, an edible bloom and the flower most people take for granite. The pansy is linked forever to the viola, its ancestor, violas includes both pansies and violets, violets most loved for their perkiness and the their pretty perfume aroma. Pansy flowers are single with five petals that are rounded in shape, and have one of three basic color patterns. Blooms can be single, clear color, such as yellow or purple with a second pattern that is a single color having dark lines radiating from its center. Most people don’t realize pansies have a delicate perfume-like aroma. Once you have smelled and identified the pansy scent, it is unforgettable. It is rumored pansies inspired William Shakespeare romantic writing’s.

Sydney and I wanted to create life like sugar pansies, while in DC we talked about placing them on a cupcake instead of including them in a cake spray. Besides I could send them to her in a care package. Although I have pansy cutters I found using a rose petal cutter worked best.

Sugar Paste Pansies:

Equipment:

• Rose petal cutter, OP
• Ceramic silk stick, HP
• Dresden tool, FMM
• Grove board, CC
• 28 gauge white wire
• 26 gauge nile green wire
• Fine needle nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Dusting brushes
• #2 fine paint brush
• All-purpose leaf Cutter, ISAC or Oak leaf cutter, OP
• Pansy leaf veiner, SKGI
• Poppy veiner, JR
• Six petal cutter #5, OP
• Ball tools
• Foam pad
• Floral pad
• Steamer, optional
• Pasta machine, optional
• Nile green floral tape, HH
• Fondant smoothers
• Small sugar paste rolling pin
• Plastic mat or DYI plastic cut bag lightly coated with crisco
• Fine Scissor
• Make-up pads
• Cocktail straw

Material:

• Fondant, Fondarific
• Sugar paste (gumpaste), Fondarific
• Yellow food paste, electric yellow food paste, and leaf green food paste
• Daffodil, plum, violet, lime green, and foliage green petal dust
• Edible varnish
• Egg white
• Vodka
• 1- recipe almond cupcakes
• Crisco
• Cornstarch

 Almond Cupcakes:

• 355 grams/3 3/8-cups of cake flour
• 15 gram sakura cherry blossom sugar
• 400 grams/ 2-cups sugar
• 9 grams/2-teaspoon baking powder
• 1-teaspoon salt
• 200 grams/4 eggs, at room temperature
• 227 grams/1-cup butter, softened
• 244 grams/1-cup milk
• 122 grams/1-cup milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoons almond extract
• 1-vanilla bean

Line 2 muffin pans with cupcake liner of choice. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/ 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl whisk eggs, 244 grams/ 1 -cup milk, almond extract, and vanilla seeds.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, with the paddle attachment, sift all the dry ingredients (including sugars) and mix on low speed just to blend. Add the butter and the 244 grams/1 –cup of milk. Continue to mix on low speed till the dry ingredients are moistened, raise the speed to medium and beat for about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and gradually add the egg- milk mixture in thirds, beating for 60 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and spring back when pressed lightly in the center.

Sugar Paste Pansies:

You will need to create the pansies prior to the cupcakes.

For a video tutorial

Leaves: 

Color well kneaded white sugar paste with leaf green paste and electric yellow. Roll the green paste into a log place on your groove board  and with your small sugar paste rolling pin roll up the groove and then down, be sure the paste is transparently thing. Transfer the paste to a cutting board, and cut three leaves with a leaf cutter or oak leaf cutter. Place two of the leaves under  a plastic mat. Cut 28 gauge wire into equal fourths, dip one of the cut wires into egg white and thread through the grooved part of the leaf, gently pinch as you twirl the wire to attach the petal on the wire. Use your metal ball tool to add movement to the leaf and to widen slightly (if you’re using an oak leaf cutter). Place the leaf on the pansy veiner, and transfer the veined leaf to your foam pad. Using your dresden tool on the side draw the tool outwards to give a serrated effect of the leaf and pull the dresden tool inwards to frill.

Gently pinch the top and base to exaggerate the spine of the leaf. Place on a foam former to dry.

Dust the leaves with lime green from the base upwards and the edges inwards, repeat with foliage green and cut the foliage green on veins. Add a touch of plum to the spine and outer edge. Steam each leaf, allow to dry, and varnish, with 50/50 edible varnish .

 

 

 The Calyx:

Cut one calyx for each pansy. Soften as you elongate each petal of the pansy, using a ball tool half on the pad and half on the petal. Vein the centre of each petal with your dresden tool.

 Brush a small amount of egg white about 1/4 up from the centre of pansy.

Place the calyx on the a cosmetic pad and thread the pansy through the whole in the cosmetic pad, as you turn the flower upside down. Use the cosmetic pad to gently attach the calyx .

Allow to dry and lime green and foliage.

Pansies come in a plethora of colors, red blue, yellow, purple, pink, etcetera follow the same method for coloring. Sydney and I found working on white paste works best for bringing out the vibrant colors.

Enjoy!