What am I doing wrong??? I have a cake due this weekend and I can't write on cakes to save my life so I tried my Tappits. EVERY time they get stuck in the mold. I roll the gumpaste super thin and used a bunch of corn starch/powdered sugar but I just can't get them out without tearing them!!! I have those block letters that you press in the BC and then trace over them. I think I may just have to use those. I hate how block-like they look though!
They really aren't so bad when you figure them out! I promise! There are several youtube videos on how to use them...one is by aine2 and one is by Edna...both very good...different ways to make them work. Myself I use only gumpaste. Color it first then let it lay out maybe ten minutes or so before you roll it out...roll it out on a lightly greased surface...dip your tappit in cornstarch or powdered sugar first then press into gumpaste, pressing really good (I take my fondant roller and roll over it a few times to make sure it's cut good)...then hopefully the gumpaste will stick to the mat and after a few minutes you can peel it off pretty easily. And if it doesn't stick to the mat it will come up in your tappit but because you have the powdered sugar on it it shakes out pretty easily. Hopefully this makes a little sense. I really like using mine now but hated the first few times. I have no luck using fondant with it though,only gumpaste. Good luck!
I saw a video online...actually I think of one of the people I saw in a video from here maybe...she put a little bit of veg shortening down on her table, then rolled the gumpaste...that made the letter stick to the table rather than her tappit...then took a toothpick to peel away the gp around the cut letter.
WOW, great tips everyone! I've never tried the shortening, dipping the tappit in PS or letting the GP sit for a while. Maybe I will get the patience to try again tomorrow. I really want them to work for me. They would look so nice on the cake. Thanks!
Count me among the frustrated until I got the hang of it and I have never looked back! The shortening that Edna recommends didn't work for me but the "let the GP dry a bit" certainly did! At first, I would take a toothpick and very gently take out the dough that got stuck in the grooves and that also worked, but when it is dry it works like a charm! Good Luck and patience! 
Try using fondant with a little tylose added to it. Roll it really thin on the pasta roller and let it sit out for about 30 minutes. I just press the tappit into the fondant, tap the mold on my table and the letter just falls right out. Letting it sit out for a good while is the key.
What i do is i knead my fondant with crisco roll it out on a 2. then put it on wax paper gently rub it down and let is sit for about 5 minutes... works every time
Count me among the frustrated until I got the hang of it and I have never looked back! The shortening that Edna recommends didn't work for me but the "let the GP dry a bit" certainly did!
Me too! They make lettering look so nice it is worth the trouble to learn how to make them work for you.
Ok, they aren't called "pickoutwithatoothpick-its". They're called Tappits for a reason. You tap the letters out. Better yet, you firmly whack them on the table. They should come right out for you. That way you aren't stretching the ends of the letters, pulling them out of shape, whatever. Whack! Out comes a perfect letter. Let it sit where it falls, or gently nudge to the side and let it set up.
They frustrated me too until I learned how to use them. For me, gumpaste works best, rolled very thin and very dry with lots of powdered sugar worked into it. Also I tap or hit the tappit on the counter to pop the letter out. It works great but it took me a little practice to get them just right.
Ok, they aren't called "pickoutwithatoothpick-its". They're called Tappits for a reason. You tap the letters out. Better yet, you firmly whack them on the table. They should come right out for you. That way you aren't stretching the ends of the letters, pulling them out of shape, whatever. Whack! Out comes a perfect letter. Let it sit where it falls, or gently nudge to the side and let it set up.
Agree. I have never had any success trying to pick the letters out - they always end up mangled doing that. You do have to whack the cutter quite hard to get them out but it's the best way.
I also find that dusting the rolled out dough very liberally with icing sugar (powdered sugar) works better than just dipping the cutter in cornflour/sugar. Then after the letters have dried thoroughly I steam them a little which dissolves the excess sugar and brings the colour back beautifully.
Try using fondant with a little tylose added to it. Roll it really thin on the pasta roller and let it sit out for about 30 minutes. I just press the tappit into the fondant, tap the mold on my table and the letter just falls right out. Letting it sit out for a good while is the key.
agree! This works perfectly! They come right out.
I have one last question before I attempt this again tonight. When I use gumpaste I have to be careful to always keep it covered unless I'm working with it because it hardens so fast. Wouldn't leaving it out for 10 minutes make it too hard to cut through? Maybe I just use too much Tylose in my recipe...
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