[Sca-cooks] Re: Sugar Paste

[Olwen the Odd]

>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

We dust the inside of the bowls and cups with cornflour.  Most of the time
they pop right out.  I like to cheat and use white chocolate to glue the
pieces together.  Anyway, it gives me a reason to blow through some of the
30 or so pounds I have of white chocolate.  The stick is a good idea that I
haven't tried.  I just make the stems out of sugarplate with the base as one
piece.  Ya know, I have used balloons as a mold for piped and dipped
chocolate cups.  I just rub a lite coat of butter on it then pop it to
remove.  May work with sugarplate as well.  Well, not the butter part.
Olwen

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