Isomalt Hard
Candy Recipe for making Sugar Diamonds
1 cup
Isomalt
4
Tablespoons Hot Water
Liquid food
coloring as desired
Combine
Isomalt and water in a 1 quart heavy saucepan.Cook over medium heat while stirring with a wooden spoon until
dissolved.Dip a pastry brush in water
and wash down the sides to prevent crystallizing.Insert a candy thermometer to monitor
temperature.You may have to wash down
the sides with water one or two more times.Cook until mixture reaches 320 degrees and remove from heat.The syrup is VERY HOT!Take precautions to prevent burns.
When syrup
stops bubbling, slowly add flavoring and food coloring if desired.Prepare your molds by spraying them with Pam
or lightly oiling them.Pour hot syrup
into molds and allow to harden 10 minutes.Unmold onto waxed paper.If the
weather is humid, wrap in candy bags to prevent the candy from becoming cloudy.
The use of a
candy funnel will make this job much easier. Please remember that large candies can be a choking hazard with children.
Mexican Paste Recipe
This it the paste that Marion Frost of Patchwork Cutters recommends to use with all her Patchwork Cutters. We do not recommend gumpaste for use with Patchwork cutters.
8 ounces (2 cups) 10x powdered sugar 3 teaspoons Gum Tragacanth -Buy Here 6 teaspoons cold water (plus or minus a teaspoon depending on your sugar)
Blend together 10x sugar and gum tragacanth in a bowl. Add water and mix with a heavy spoon until most of the sugar is absorbed. Pour onto a clean work surface and knead, picking up the extra bits of moist sugar as you knead, until the dough is smooth and pliable. Place in a sealed plastic bag and place that bag into another sealed bag. Leave overnight on the counter to cure. DO NOT REFRIGERATE! The paste will be very hard the next day. Break off a small piece and knead until soft before using.
You can keep Mexican Paste for up to 10 days as long as you knead it every 2-3 days. If you want to keep it longer, it freezes very well. Do not refrigerate Mexican paste.
GUMPASTE RECIPE USING TYLOSE
Tylose makes an excellent gumpaste that is inexpensive, whiter in color and holds up better in humidity. This recipe makes approximately 2 pounds of gumpaste. You will need a strong mixer like a Kitchen Aid. A handheld mixer will not work.
4 TablespoonsTylose (product # 17057)
2# Bag10x Sugar (sifted if lumpy)
4Large Egg Whites*
4 TeaspoonsCriso or white vegetable shortening
1. Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat with a paddle just until whites are mixed.
2. Reserve 2 cups of the sifted 10x sugar-place the rest in the mixer with the whites.
3. Place mixer on medium speed and mix until soft shiny peaks form. This is very similar to a royal icing-but much softer. It will take 3-4 minutes to mix to this stage.
4. If coloring the entire batch, you can add color at this point. Americolor Gel colors work best but any coloring will do.
5. Turn the mixer to slowest speed and pour the pre-measured Tylose in. Turn the mixer to high speed and mix for 10-15 seconds until well combined and thickened.
6. Sprinkle a work surface with a little of the reserved 10x sugar. Scrape out the gumpaste mix on to the sugared work surface.
7. Place the shortening (Crisco) on your hands and knead the paste, adding a little 10x sugar at a time just to keep if from sticking to the surface. You will have added enough 10x sugar when you can pinch the paste and it no longer sticks to your fingers. If you are going to color the paste green, leave it a little softer as green colorings dry out gumpaste quickly.
8. Form paste into a compact ball or log and place in a Ziploc bag, removing as much air as possible-then place into another Ziploc bag to ensure it is airtight.
9. Place in refrigerator for 24 hours to cure. Bring to room temperature before using.
10. To use paste, cut off a small piece and adding a touch of shortening on your fingertips, knead it thoroughly into the gumpaste to soften it. Add color at this time if desired.
11. Always store the paste in double Ziploc bags in the refrigerator. It will last 6 months under refrigeration or well over 3 years if frozen. Never freeze gumpaste that has not cured 24 hours under refrigeration.
12. When re-using pieces of gumpaste, always knead lightly with a little Crisco before rolling.
*Large egg whites can vary a great deal in volume from region to region. If you find that the paste is too stiff to work with, try adding a little more egg white in the first stage.
Edible Tylose Glue
Bring one cup of water to a boil and remove from heat. Add 3/4 teaspoon of Tylose. Stir with a small whisk or fork. Continue stirring every 5 minutes until completely dissolved. It may take 15-20 minutes until fully dissolved. Place in airtight bottle and refrigerate overnight to finish dissolving and to mature. Keeps 30-60 days refrigerated.
Use this glue for making gumpaste flowers or attaching fondant/gumpaste pieces to a cake.
Be aware that this glue leaves a shiny finish wherever it touches and petal dust will not adhere to the dried glue.
