Hello,

I'm wondering if anyone has an idea for substituting clear lacquer? I want to make some fondant flowers using darker colors and when I do so they tend to have either cornstarch or powdered sugar all over them ... I saw online that you can spary them with clear edible lacquer once done to make them shinny and thus remove the look of 'powder'. However at about $40 a can plus about $10 shipping it's too too much!!!

Does anyone have any other ideas/alternative ways of getting rid of the 'powder look'? i think steam would work if the item is movable (i.e. you oan play over steam) but if it is on the cake and you can't move it what else can I try?

Edible Varnish

1 t. gelatin
3 t. water
1 t. liquid glucose

Sprinkle gelatin in the water. Let stand until it becomes spongy.
Dissolve until clear over hot, not boiling water, Add the liquid
glucose and stir until ingredients are well combined.
Pour this mixture into an airtight container.
The mixture will get very stiff. To use it, heat the varnish in a
container of hot, not boiling, water. Paint onto the item to be varnished while
the mixture is still hot. The edible varnish should NOT be kept in the refrigerator.

Thanks for the recipe!!

Just wondering if this will soften up the flower petals because of the 'volume' being applied - I know it's not a lot but would be more than some sort of airbrushing or spray??? I have an airbrush...

I was acutally wondering if steam would soften the flower petals up too much too???

Alot of people steam their flowers to set petal dusts. Are you just coloring the gumpaste when you use it or are you also using petal dusts on the flowers?

I'm coloring the gumpaste with gel colors first .... then rolling out and cutting out petal shapes, forming etc and then attaching to one another to form flower.... inevitably the petals get covered in powder as I make them so they look dusty especially with darker colors like red or deep colors.

speaking of petal dust would I need to add it before I steam them or can I also add afterwards?

You can also put a little crisco on a paint brush and paint over the petals gently. This will remove the powdered but the flowers will still dry with a mat finish in the long run.

Crazy question...when heated, is the gelatin mixture thin enough to spray thru an airbrush?

Several points:

First of all you should brush the cornstarch/sugar off each petal after you have shaped/wired it, before you begin to dust with coloured powder. Use a clean dry brush and do it over a container to catch the waste powder.

Second, confectioners glaze should be purchased in bottles NOT aerosol spray cans which are not permitted to be shipped by air. CK products 7882.0 (glaze) and thinner 7882.5 come in 8 ounce bottles. You may set this up to spray with a spray bottle or airbrush. Less than $10 for 8 ounces plus ground shipping.

Petal dust is added before steaming because steaming is done to makes it stick. Petals can be painted with moist materials after steaming.

The gelatin glaze recipe has the consistency of sticky jam.

If you are merely wanting to remove the powdered sugar look, you can lightly spray with vodka. It evaporates rapidly and leaves the petals ready to redust or do whatever you want with them. Like the others said, I steam to set the dust to have a soft matte finish. I also use glazes and lacquer where appropriate.

will this recipe work also for chocolate lollipops? i made them three weeks ago and some have become very dull.  Please reply as soon as you can. I need them ready within one week.

Thanks for your help.

obe

A50% alcohol & 50% corn syrup