Friday, April 8, 2011

Gumpaste

I mentioned yesterday that I had to make gumpaste today.   Amazingly enough, I actually made it!!!  It was that, or run out and have to make it anyway, lol.

I linked to Nic Lodge's Gumpaste Recipe yesterday, and don't feel comfortable posting his recipe here (I'd rather link to it like I did), so if you would like the see the recipe, please check out yesterday's post.

I use my Kitchen Aid to make my gumpaste, I find it the easiest way to do it.  I seperated my eggs and put the whites in the bowl and turned the mixer on high to break them up.  Then added almost two pounds of confectioner's sugar (I sifted it, but I don't know if it makes a difference).  This is basically a royal icing, and once it was at soft peak stage (or med/stiff peak - depending on whether you forgot it was running), I added in the tylose powder and turned the mixer on high until it stiffened right up.  I then scraped it out of the bowl and onto the counter, so that I could knead the remaining sugar into it.


I know what you're thinking..............and I, too, was skeptical that this mess was going to turn into gumpaste the first time I made it.

Miraculously, it took me less than 5 minutes today to knead this all together into a cohesive blob.  I did not end up adding any of the extra sugar, however, that is not the norm.  I usually have to knead about half the withheld sugar in, and it should be a little more because my gumpaste usually ends up too soft the next day.  I suspect I did not need to add any today because I managed to let the royal icing get to stiff peak stage before adding the tylose.  Hopefully, I won't be making more gumpaste tomorrow!! 

Once you finish kneading the gumpaste, it needs to be wrapped airtight and bagged and put in the fridge for a recommended 24 hours, then taken out and let come to room temp before using it.  Mine is going to end up being in the fridge for about 20 hours before it will be taken out and brought to room temp.  I believe it take a few hours to come to room temp, but I really have no idea, lol.

I'll try to post pics tomorrow of what it looks like after coming to room temp :)

~Chelle

2 comments:

  1. In my house it would take a few days to come up to room temperature! :-)

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  2. LOL - yes it would!!!!!!!!!!! I put mine in the living room (the warmest and most well-insulated in the house) and it doesn't take very long at all. :)

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