So I have a cake next week that I'm serious, has about 300+ pearls on it. Now normally I make my own by just rolling tiny fondant ones (I personally hate picking off non-edible dragees so I don't make my customers do the same) but I'm sorry people, who has time to roll 300+! Not me.

Well I left the cake store rather depressed because they only had non-edible dragees .............then I went to A.C. Moore.
Oh did I squeal like a little girl (oh yes I did, those people are lucky I didn't start dancing) when in the wedding favor section I found "Wilton Peppermint Pearls" (about 200 pcs a bag for $3).
These babies look just like medium dragees and they taste like tic-tacs..............and best of all, Luster Dust loves them.

I just had to share - I'm so returning my $12 worth of non-edible teeth destroyers on Monday.

I'm glad you found something that will work for you. I can't imagine the time it would take to make that many pearls.
My only concern would be that the peppermint flavor will transfer to the icing? The only reason i mention it is years ago i made a hulk cake and used peppermint chicklets for his teeth and anywhere he had the teeth the icing took on that pepperment taste.

good for you!!!! that is very tedious work and so what if the icing tastes a little like mint................refreshing

I just checked the Wilton web site. Of course, they're out of stock!

I'm having them notify me by email when they're back in stock. Thanks for the tip!

Hmmm. I wonder if cake supply stores around here have them?

This is my kind of tip! Cheap and great!

I think www.earlenescakes.com has plain pearls in different sizes that you can roll in luster dust. She's quick on sending out stuff. I'm in Ohio and get my order from Texas in three days usually. Just an idea maybe for a later date. Good luck!!!!

I actually use the amaco bead roller. The downside is you can't make small pearls, but it does well for regular sized pearls. It also allows you to do an elongated bead as well as a diamond shaped bead.

I actually use the amaco bead roller. The downside is you can't make small pearls, but it does well for regular sized pearls. It also allows you to do an elongated bead as well as a diamond shaped bead.

Why wouldn't purchased "edible" pearls be OK to eat. I buy them by the kilo. Dragees - with silver/gold metallic coating are the only ones not edible. The purchased ones might be hard, but they are edible.

Sweetcravings: You know I never stopped for a second to consider that the mint taste may seep into the cake - the good thing is that the taste isn't overwhelming at all so I'm hoping that is my one saving grace. I just went and put a ton of them on a tablespoon of buttercream so I can see what happens (I'm going to leave them there until Monday evening).I'll make sure to let you all know the outcome - the cake is for a close friend of mine so she'll be sure to tell me if it had a distinct flavor

And debster, thanks for the great website information - I just ordered a ton of stuff I probably don't need but totally have been looking for.

Leah: Totally with you chicka but unfortuantly my local cake store didn't have a huge selection and had zero edible pearls. I would have ordered them online but the order was a last minute one.

Have a look at these pearls:

http://www.confectioneryhouse.com/product.php?productid=3414&cat=307&page=1

They come in various sizes and colors, as well as "unfinished."

Oh holy crap, I love this site sugarfrosted - thank you!

leahs.................you mind posting the site? Also do you know anyone that has good deals on Satin Ice? Thanks

hi,
sorry if i came off the wrong way...i know you were not raining on her parade sweetcravings, i just thought she found something great that i've been looking for lol.

Oh ladies I'm truly sorry I never posted how the cake turned out, I completely lost track of this thread.
.........but guess what? The peppermint flavor did not infuse after being in the buttercream for three days! However, the luster came completely off them...just dissappeared
On word of warning though, they are exteremly hard to work with if you are trying to go with all the same size....I had to pick and choose and probably spent well over an hour more than I needed to.

Chrissy....... are these "hard" like dragees, or soft like fondant when you bite into them ? I ordered some that were just termed "edible", and they were hard as rocks...... I finally wound up putting them in a plastic bag with a slice of bread, and they softened right up........ ( my Mom's trick for keeping cookies soft)........

i started buying them at ac moore before i even heard of dragees. they're great! they carry them only at ac moore in the wedding section.

The edible pearls from Confectionery House and GSA come hard, but once they sit on the cake start to become soft. I thought they would stay hard, but on my coral and pearls cake, one fell off at delivery and I picked it up and it was mushy!! I think putting them on hard is probably a lot easier than putting them on soft.