[Sca-cooks] Re: Sugar Paste

[Elise Fleming]

Isabelot wrote:
>I did successfully make some plates, bowls, and a platter. Still
haven't
>succeeded with the goblets/glasses but plan to keep on trying.

I, too, found those to be the most difficult.  For me, I was more
successful when I molded on the _outside_ of a form rather than on
the inside.  And, I've used waxed paper to tape onto the object
first before I laid on the sugar paste to form it.  For one goblet,
I used a Dannon's yogurt container.  I laid on the waxed paper,
properly cut so there were minimal wrinkles.  Then I laid on a round
of sugar paste.  When I folded it down the sides there was,
obviously, a big pleat which I cut out with a sharp knife.  Then I
smoothed the edges together to hide the external join.

I used a dowel (actually, a wedding pillar) covered with sugar paste
to make the stem of the goblet which I attached after everything was
dried.  I rolled a small snake of paste to hide the join of the
goblet and the stem and put some decorative marks or jewels on it.
I made a separate base/foot into which I inserted the stem.  (Like a
true medieval recipe, I put the steps out of order.  Make goblet.
Make stem.  Let dry.  Make base and insert stem.  Let dry.  Affix
goblet.)

I'd love to hear how anyone else made goblets.  I saw two gorgeous
fluted ones made for the historical food display in England.  My
guess is that they were made in two halves of a mold.  However,
period sources seem to indicate putting the paste inside the cup and
I haven't had much success with that.  The paste sticks and I can't
get it out easily.

Alys Katharine