Pastillage Recipe

Pastillage, a type of sugar paste or gum paste, is what bakers use to create anything that you see on a cake that is edible but not actually cake. If you see a cake with flowers, bees, birds, or what have you stuck all over it creating a beautiful pastoral spring scene, that extra stuff is molded out of pastillage.

To make your own pastillage, you will need a stand mixer. Yes, it is entirely possible to mix up a batch of pastillage without a stand mixer, but you will get quite a workout. Ingredients

·1 pound of confectioner's sugar
·½ cup of cornstarch
·¼ cup of cool water
·¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar
·1 envelope of gelatin

Instructions

1.In a large bowl, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and cream of tartar.
2.Place the cool water into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the water.
3.Let the gelatin soak in the water for at least five minutes.
4.Then place the saucepan over a low flame and stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved and the water has warmed.
5.Place the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer and pour the gelatin mixture into the bowl of your mixer.
6.Using the lowest speed setting, slowly add the sugar mixture to the gelatin.
7.Mix until the pastillage is smooth.
8.Immediately remove the pastillage from the mixing bowl and wrap it in plastic wrap. Keep in mind that pastillage becomes stiff very quickly.
9.Remove as much pastillage from the plastic wrap as you will use for one decoration and add powdered food coloring to achieve the shade you are looking for.
10.Mold the pastillage into whatever shape you want.
11.Pastillage can be used to make flowers by forming it into petals and then putting the petals together to form the flower.
12.Once your figures and flowers have been made, just let them air dry and then use them to decorate your cake.