Sugar Glass Butterfly Cupcake and Showpeels

                                

                                         sugar glass butterfly cupcake

Don't you love when chefs make those giant sugar display pieces, just like in the excellent documentary 'Kings of Pastry'? Sugar pieces that are destined to be displayed in grand ball rooms and events around the world can recreated on a smaller scale with the help of silicone showpeels. 

Showpeels are embossed thin silicone sheets that allow you to make the most intricate isomalt or chocolate pieces. A mulitude of large showpeels are available but today I'm using one of the two mini types available... 'Mini Bug Collection'.

Four different butterflies and one dragon fly are on the showpeel. You simply cut out each one with a craft knife/mat or small sharp scissors.

I used the smallest butterfly today. 

If you wish to recreate today's butterfly you will need;

Mini Bug Showpeel

First Impressions drop pearl mould

candy thermometer

gas chef's torch to remove bubbles

*heat resistant gloves (sugar gloves)

Ingredients 

1 cup of isomalt 

optional 4 tablespoons of water (if the weather is humid don't use any water) 

food colour (I use gel)

Method 

Turn your oven onto a very low temperature, (this is too keep the isomalt liquid between butterflies) you could also use the type of heating pad that keeps your casserole warm. If your isomalt does set too firmly it can be gently reheated on the stove top.

Combine isomalt and water in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat, stir until combined with a metal spoon. Brush down side with a dampened pastry brush if necessary. Cook until isomalt reaches 160 C  (320 F). Remove from stove, whilst still bubbling add a few drops of food colour and stir in a gentle backwards and forwards motion to incorporate colour. 

Now your ready to make butterflies!! Watch Pastry Chef Stéphane Tréand to see the technique.

Make a butterfly body using drop pearl mould. Butterflies because they are so thin only take a few minutes to set, the bodies take about 7-10 minutes to cool fully. You will need to keep your isomalt warm between butterflies. Silicone moulds leave bubbles on the surface, for a shiny finish flash briefly with a chefs gas torch... see more on this in this weeks 'beaded butterfly cupcakes' entry.

Attach wings to body with dabs of isomalt. 

Handle you butterflies by the edges or wear cotton gloves, sugar work like chocolate will fingerprint.

Store butterflies in an airtight container without touching, add silicone sachets to adsorb moisture. Isomalt butterflies like isomalt gems are at the mercy of the elements and will go cloudy with moisture, they can be lightly brushed with flavourless oil to restore shine or use "cloudy" for a frosted finish. 

I'm loving using Showpeels, they are costly but think of them as investment; particularly if you are a cake decorator by trade or just have to have that large butterfly atop your daughters wedding cake. 

Showpeels can be used for chocolate work too and are available from Chicago Mold School

Happy Baking :)

*Sugar gloves won't let you dive into hot isomalt, but they do offer splash protection. I did burn myself making these, totally my fault; I didn't put my gloves on and wasn't paying enough attention. Sugar and Isomalt are extremely hot when cooked, please cook with care and remove pets and small children from the work area. 

 You might also be interested 'Debbie's Beaded Butterflies'

or perhaps a batch of Raspberry Jam to fill your butterfly cakes

Debbie's Beaded Butterfly Cupcakes

                                   Debbie's  beaded butterfly cupcakes 

Typing one handed today as I'm sporting a "butterfly injury" after dipping my hand in hot isomalt... not something I'd recommend!!! Luckily I do listen to Martha Stewart and had a bowl of cold water nearby to dip my hand in, phew judging by all the blistering it's lucky I did! 

But bravery is my middle name (not really I cried like a baby) and I piped with one hand to finish off my cakes for today. 

Purple butterfly cupcakes for Debbie, who is my step son Daniel's Mum :)

Beaded Butterfly toppers

You will need...

rice paper butterfly printed sheet (available from cake decorating stores)

silicone bead or drop pearl moulds (mine 'pearl drops' by First Impressions)

isomalt sticks or pearls

clear cake piping gel

cake glue

edible glitter

food colour of choice 

chef's gas torch

small sharp scissors or craft knife

paint brush used for food purposes only

I made two batches of cakes yesterday, both used isomalt in the toppers. I was burnt with the cooked stove top isomalt (that cake later in the week) and I also used for the first time isomalt sticks. 

Isomalt sticks are pre cooked isomalt, if it's first time you're using isomalt or you rarely do sugar work they are good option. However if you are frequent user I recommend cooking your isomalt from either powder or crystals.

Quick and easy to prepare the stick isomalt;

Break desired amount of sticks into pieces and place them in a microwave safe cup with a handle (I used pyrex) Melt in 15 second increments until clear and bubbles have formed. That's it, done!!

Remove from the microwave and add colour if desired, stir the colour in with a back and forwards waving motion to prevent bubbles forming. Once all bubbles have subsided, pour carefully (it's hot!!) into moulds. 

Allow to set and then unmould.

If you used a silicone mould you will have small bubbles on the surface of your pieces.

A quick pass over with a gas chef's torch will remove the bubbles and leave you with shiny pieces. If your moulded pieces are too long for the butterflies body, snap a piece off to shorten and neaten the end with the gas torch.

Butterfly Wings;

Lightly paint over selected butterflies with cake gel, sprinkle with edible glitter if desired. Leave overnight to dry.

Next morning with small sharp scissors or a craft knife on a craft mat, cut out the butterflies. I cut the body ends away too.

Gently fold butterfly and attach isomalt body with a little cake glue. Leave to dry for a few hours, support the wings by putting folded paper etc under them to create a "flying position". 

Use finished butterflies to top you cupcakes. 

Happy Baking or Butterfly making :) 

Very Violet Mistake

                                 very violet vanilla cupcake

Sometimes it's a huge advantage being self taught where baking is concerned; without preconceived/taught ideas you have a "freedom" to create... and sometimes it just makes you dumb!!

I was planning to bake small vanilla teacakes filled with blueberries & frosted with violet swiss meringue butter cream. Since they were for a special thank you gift I wanted a pretty topper and came up with modelling paste heart cut outs. I spent hours cake gluing crystallised violet petals to the hearts. Next day I popped the toppers into the prepared cakes, this is where I learnt a lesson your five year old already knows...

Sugar dissolves in moisture.

The tips of hearts dissolved in the moist frosting, the hearts collapsed and fell off leaving a trail of syrupy violet goo. 

If I had added toothpicks to the back of the hearts and raised them so they weren't touching the frosting this could have been avoided. Sooo, I've learnt something "not to do" & I'm looking forward to all new baking next week.

That's it for the end of my first week back, enjoy your weekend.

Happy Baking :) 

Voodoo Babies Cupcake picks

Lumi sees everything, knows every thing. A cheater has no where to escape but to confess.

For the young & young at heart,  turn bright and colourful voodoo babies into cupcake picks. Great for Mardi Gras, Halloween and all occasions in-between. 

Voodoo babies are actually key rings, so to turn them into cupcake picks use wire cutters to snip the top ring & slide off to remove.

Insert a matching or contrasting coloured toothpick.

Voodoo babies come in many different designs & 'spells', today I used 'Lumi'

I got my voodoo babies from SilverCrow Creations who carry a vast collection of kitsch, bizarre & fun bits and bobs. 

Tool Time & Chocolate Curls

Tool Time the kitchen tools and gadgets I love

Yes, it's a veggie peeler! A sharp vegetable peeler is used in chocolate work to trim up those rough edges & ties in with a couple of email enquires I had this week asking how to make the small chocolate curls I used in the Colouring Chocolate entry earlier this month.

Curls are made straight from a block, bar or in the case of my coloured chocolate "a blob". Hold the chocolate in one hand and firmly and evenly run the peeler down the narrow side. Pressing firmly gives you a tight curl, not as firmly gives a softer curl. The curls have a slightly wood-grain appearance.

tight curl & two partial curls

blobs of chocolate for the small amount of coloured curls I needed

finished chocolate curls

My peeler of choice to do this? An Oxo Good Grips swivel peeler, it's sharp and the rubber non-stick grip makes it so much easier to hold. I have two, one for chocolate work and one for the veggies! 

After different curls? Try combed chocolate curls.

You might also be interested in:

                     Musk

Cupcake Cases, Liners, Papers & Wrappers

Cupcake liners can just be pretty, act as an inspiration or match your theme.

I do like a design to carry through to the base of a liner like this fabulous swirl pattern does on these bold solid colour liners. Imagine a spring time yellow theme, blue cries out for piles of white frosting and green is just so minty!

These cases have straight sides, are of medium size and are made from quality greaseproof Swedish paper. 

Available in six different colours: Yellow, Blue, Green, Red, Purple & Gold

The cases cup in packs of 40 from Fancy Flours