Sugar Flower Paste

[Twinkle91]

I'm gonna make my first flowers, and was wondering what the best kind of flower paste to buy would be?
I did a decorating course at the local college and they told me Squires was rubbish, but theres so much of it about surely it has to be good?

Cheers. xx

[the card shark]

I have a flower paste recipe if you'd like to have a go at making your own? I always make my own flower paste for flowers. Technically, you need a Kenwood Chef mixer to make the paste, but when I first started to learn flower paste I found I could make an acceptable paste by hand by adding extra egg white to the mix.

Other than that, a small independent cake shop / supplies shop may sell the paste ready made.

[Wid]

Hi Carol

I'd like to see your flower paste recipe - could you post it on here?

Thanks

Sharon

[fairycakes1972]

It's all about personal preference! I like Squires past, but some people find it too soft, my college tutor like a paste that 'fought back' and was THE hardest thing in the world to roll out, but wasn't as brittle as Squires once dry.

Beau Paste is a good brand, comes in some fantastic colours and isn't as soft as Squires.

Just have a good with a few different ones and see which ones you prefer!

[the card shark]

I'm afraid my recipe is in imperial measurements. Ideally you need a Kenwood Chef food mixer with a stainless steel bowl. If you don't have a Kenwood Chef then use a pyrex bowl instead and make by hand - don't be tempted to use an ordinary food mixer! You might need to use a little additional eggwhite and your paste will be greyer when made by hand.

Ingredients:

1 lb icing sugar
15 ml gum tragacanth
10 ml powdered gelatine
25 ml cold water
10 ml white vegetable fat
10 ml liquid glucose
A white of a size 2 egg

1. Sieve icing sugar and gum tragacanth into your stainless steel bowl of your mixer and place in a cool oven (about 100 deg. C) for 30 minutes. Heat the K beater from your mixer as well.

2. Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatine over the water and stand for 15 to 30 minutes. Dissolve over hot water until clear.

3. Add white fat and liquid glucose to the gelatine mixture and heat until all 3 ingredients are clear and liquid.

4. Remove sugar and K beater from oven (with care!) and add the dissolved mixture and the egg white.

5. Beat at the lowest speed until all the ingredients are combined. The mixture should be a dingy grey colour.

6. Turn mixer to maximum and beat until the mixture becomes white and stringy.

7. When paste is white it's ready, place it into a new plastic bag and then into a plastic sealable container. Keep flower paste in the fridge, and leave for 24 hours before using.

8. To use, break off small pieces and knead until pliable. If you need to soften the paste add small amounts of egg white, if it's too sticky, add a little white fat. Don't add cornflour to reduce the stickiness as this makes the paste tough, though it's fine to dust your work surface with cornflour.

I use this recipe for my sugar flowers.

[Wid]

Thanks for the recipe!