MY GUM PASTE PROJECT - MAKING GUM PASTE FROM SCRATCH

Chinese Peony - from Gum Paste

Honestly am into this gum paste project...just started with making into simple small roses and now I have expanded my horizan into something big and complicated like "peony" and bigger roses, This is an interesting project, from making the gum paste from scratch, modelling, color brush, air brush and assembling the petals.  I really love this. The flower seem to be so real, and you will definitely be happy to see the results of your own making. 

I used to get the store bought gum paste but I realised that the quality wasn't so good, it easily deformed and melts when the water was cold..so decided to learn to make my own gum paste from scratch. Guided by my Sifu Nurainie Tan and OMG is was easy and the homeade gum paste is better than store bought in most cases because it is less expensive and creates a product that is easier to use. Premade gum paste tends to be a little stiffer and more likely to crack. The amount of gum paste created by most recipes might seem like too much for your various projects. However, gum paste can be frozen for up to six months as long as it is wrapped properly. You simply have to let it thaw in the fridge and then allow the gum paste to come back to room temperature before using it to make flowers or other cake design elements. 

There are four elements to making gum paste which are ingredients, mixing, kneading and storing.It is important to allot enough time when creating gum paste because each step is crucial to the finished product and ultimately the flowers you create.

You will need:

• A great gum paste recipe like the one developed by 
• A heavy duty mixer with a paddle attachment
• Spatula
• Fine powdered sugar, sifted
• meringue powder
• Large zip-lock bags
• shortening
• CNC power
• water

The recipe is very simple to follow for beginner cake designers.

Gumpaste Flower using flower dusting

The process for making gum paste is quite simple but you do need to follow the instructions very closely to achieve the correct elastic texture. Most recipes for gum paste follow a similar series of steps and use the same ingredients. The basic ingredients for gum paste are egg whites, powdered sugar and some sort of gum agent like tylose powder. I  used merigue powder as a substitute to egg whites and CNC gum as substitute to tylose..so here's the recipe for the gum paste:,

4 tsp merigue powder
4 tbsp water
350 g icing sugar (sifted)
6 tsp CMC
2 tsp shortening

1. Whisk the meringue powder with water till fluffy
2. Whisk in icing sugar. you will get a soft consistency royal icing texture

3.  Add in the CNC, mixture will thicken at this stage
4. Knead in shortening and mould into dough

5. If so sticky add in some icing sugar.
6. Wrap with  cling foil and rest overnight before using

Some useful tips to insure success in any gum paste recipe are as follows: Adapted - http://cakedecorating.about.com/od/gumpastetechniques/a/Lesson-Three-From-Craftsy-On-Making-Gum-Paste.htm

1. Take into consideration the area you live in when adding the powdered sugar to the egg whites. You might have to add more powdered sugar if you live in a more humid place and a dry environment would require less sugar.Take about a cup of sugar out of the amount listed in your recipe so you have some room to manipulate the finished product.
2. Always scrape the sides of the bowl down, as with any recipe, to ensure all the powdered sugar is mixed into the eggs.
3. Do not under mix the eggs and sugar. When finished the mixture will be very thick and glossy and look like meringue. Undermixing will produce gum paste which is not pliable or easy to handle.
4. If you are going to color an entire batch of gum paste a specific color you can add the color before adding the tylose powder when the batch still looks like maringue.
5. Sprinkle the tylose powder into the mixing bowl while running the paddle at low speed. Do not simply dump the powder in or it will clump up.
6. Take the extra time to scrape off the paddle and gather as much gum paste as possible because even a tiny amount can create a few flowers.
7. Seperate the gum paste into at least two smaller balls so it is easier to knead.Add extra powdered sugar in very small amounts as you knead the gum paste because it is hard to remove too much sugar if your texture becomes dry!
8. Gum paste dries out very easily if left exposed to air so wrap the finished ball as well as the ball waiting to be kneaded tightly in plastic wrap. The finished ball of gum paste should also be placed in a Ziploc bag with all the excess air pressed out.

After the gum paste is completed it is important to store it in the fridge for at least 24 hours so any undissolved tylose powder can become active. Most recipes makes about two pounds of gum paste which is enough for an entire garden of handcrafted sugar flowers! Trying to make gum paste from scratch is completely invaluable for anyone who is serious about making gum paste from scratch. It is relatively easy and handling homemade gum paste is a real pleasure.

Dusting Flower

Completed Gumpaste Rose Without Dusting

Air Brush Gumpaste Rose

Air Brush Equipment

Project gumpaste ni cukup menarik..saya mula  bermain aje..kini telah menjadi minat yang tidak dapat di tahankan lagi..setiap kali terjumpa sesuatu yang baru pasti akan saya mengambil jalan untuk mencubanya. Menariknya gumpaste flower ini mudah dipelajari di mana-mana aje..jika mampu boleh berguru dan jika tidak boleh melihat melalui you-tube. Dalam dunia serba canggih ini rajin dan usaha sahaja jalan yang terbaik untuk menimba ilmu. Masa mula berjinak dengan gum paste saya banyak menggunakan gum paste yang siap dikedai dan balik cuma mewarna dan membentukkan mengikut bunga yang digemari. Kali ini saya membuat gumpaste sendiri dari scratch. Caranya cukup mudah..malah gum paste yang dibuat sendiri lebih baik qualitynya dari gum paste yang dibeli. Kita cuma kena pandai adjust untuk mengikut cuaca di tempat kita.

Untuk gumpaste buatan sendiri ini saya menggunakan meringue powder.....caranya macam buat icing sugar juga..biasanya putih telur digunakan tapi saya lebih senang menggunakan meringue powder. Caranya memang seakan royal icing cuma bezanya ialah gumpaste ini dimasukkan sedikit gam yang terdapat berbagai jenis untuk mengeraskanya. Untuk resipi ini saya menggunakan CNC..yang selalu digunakan orang ialah tylose powder. Jika membuat adunan yang banyak mixer adalah penting..Untuk resupi yang saya gunakan ini mixer tangan memadai dan proses menguli dilakukan dengan tangan. Caranya mudah..jimat dan qualitynya lebih baik dari yang dijual dikedai.

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