What do I do? I've worked with royal icing alot and I'm very familiar with it. I've always used the wilton class recipe when just making decorations. I made the icing in class when I was teaching. One of the students kept talking to me while i was counting meringue powder tablespoons so When I was at 5 I couldn't remember if I had down 5 or 6. (I doubled the recipe) So i stayed at 5. After I made my coral pieces (tip 3) and let them dry (for hours) I tried lifting them of the parchment and most of the little coral branches broke off. I was really really careful. So after alot of thought I decided to add a 1/2 tablespoon meringue powder and thin the icing down from stiff to thin/medium. Right now they are drying they have been drying for about 3 hours. I tried lifting one and one of the branches fell off so I ate it and could tell it was not dry at all yet, yesterday when i ate the branches that fell they were dry, just very brittle.

So what do you think. How have you made successful coral? I'm gonna let it dry overnight and HOPE.

First I'll tell ya' like my husband told me "Nature isn't perfect so don't worry if yours isn't either" and it's true! But with that said I made mine on wax paper, went over the designs twice and let it dry overnight but after all this you will still get breakage but they ended up really pretty anyway (or at least I thought so! ) I made coral for my beach wedding cake in my pics.

Thanks Dodibug. I will remember that.

PS Dodibug I just looked at your seashell cake and WOW WOW WOW! The shells are amazing. I wish I could do the snail shells but I don't know how. Yours look great!

aaawww, thank you! That is my all time favorite cake. I was so worried about it because it was for really good friends and when the bride came in to see it before the wedding she started crying. I say that was my cake zen moment! lol

I bought molds for all the shells and used Clasen white chocolate flavored candy melts and then just played around with different color dusts to get the effects/colors I wanted since the bride wanted them to be more realistic looking.

When I have made coral before I will spray the wax paper with a little bit of Pam, and then I wipe off the excess, so there is just a little sheen to the paper. This really helps stuff not to stick. Hope this helps

Sometimes it is better to peel the paper off the RI instead of trying to pry the RI off the paper. Cut around it, flip it over and gently peel the paper off.

Start doing your royal work on plastic wrap. I stretch and tape it tight over my pattern or lettering or whatever, and once dry it comes right up w/ no breakage. Test it w/ your extra royal - do one on parchment, one on the plastic wrap and compare. I'll never go back to paper!

The coral I made, I used candy melts and sprinkled them with sanding sugar. They were really pretty and the guests were picking them all off the cake to eat before anything else. The baby's grandma asked if I could just make her a batch of "coral". LOL!

I've never tried to make coral from RI though... but it works well with candy melts.

Can't really help you with this,the one time I made coral,i made it from sugar rock - which looks quite effective !

hmm.... you all have such interesting ideas. Thanks so much

Such great information. I was having this same problem in making lace pints and lattice work... KEPT BREAKING... soooooo frustrating. I've read all your ideas and I'm headed to the kitchen now to try the saran wrap idea.... The lace points aren't as bad an issue as lattice work...

Curious .. to Jules06.... what is sugar rock? still learning here..... THANKS !

Sugar Rock -

1 kilogram sugar
250 mil cold water
1/2 recipe of royal icing ( about 135gram )

Melt sugar in the water over low temp. and boil to 138 deg.C ( 280 degF )
Remove from stove & immediately stir in (very well beaten ) royal icing.
Pour into a large container lined with well-greased wax paper/alfoil.
The mix.will bubble up to double its original volume.
Leave to cool,then break up into the sizes you want ( rocks,coral etc )
If you want coloured rocks,colour the royal icing before you add it.
For sand/gravel, just crush with rolling pin.

Enjoy !

Thanx jules! I just saw a picture of sugar rock today. looks awesome

hmm........ I have no idea how to convert that. Do you know what that comes out to in u.s. measurements?

I find the easiest and safest way to remove royal icing decorations from waxed or parchment paper is to wait until the design feels dry, usually over night. Then put your design right on the edge of your table or counter top, squat down and peel the paper back under the table surface, slowly and as it releases keep your hand on the royal icing design to keep it from slipping off the table. Continue to do this until all of the paper has been peeled away. Then carefully lift your design with something that will support it, like a pancake turner or wide spatula, Lay your hand on top of the design and turn the whole thing over. Carefully slide the design off onto a surface to dry on the back side. I double pipe my coral. When it has been removed from the paper and flipped over I piped that side as well and allow to airdry. You can then dust it with super paarl dust to make it shine.

I think 1 kilo is about 2.3 pounds
Don't know if that helps

Thanks BUNCHES Jules..... love the great tips and helping hands here...

Kris

You're very welcome and when I do try making coral with RI, I'll know what to do !!