I've used real sugar to make "glass" tiles for a cake (like the cake challenge cake) and I've used isomalt to do the same. The real sugar ones tasted great but the hot pink color turned peach because the sugar got a yellow tinge to it. The color in the isomalt stayed true and popped, but the tiles taste GROSS!!!

Is there any temperature or way to cook sugar to have it at "hard crack" and also clear like ice?????

Does anyone have any OTHER remedies for my problem???

PLEASE HELP! LOL!

Amy

The "peachy" colored ones are the sugar...

The "hot pink" ones are the isomalt (Diabetic Sugar Substitute)...

i can't help, but i'd love to know the answer to this, too. i tried tiles for the first time tonight and they worked really well, just not the color i was truly hoping for because of that tinge.

i have to ask anik2grls, how did you get the tops (which would be the bottom when you're pouring) of your tiles so smooth and shiny? mine came out mostly matte and with little air pockets (though i suppose i could have knocked the air pockets out had a i tapped the mold??) the bottoms (which would be the side that faces up when you pour the sugar in) came out very shiny, though.

I cant get it to stay clear I do the sugar bottles and the only way I can is to use isomalt. Wish I could help.

Your diabetic sugar substitute, is that just plain regular isomalt I wonder? I mean I eat sugar free stuff anyhow but my isomalt stuff does not taste bad to me. I just bought mine from chefrubber.com. It's not particularly marked diabetic or anything I wonder if the diabetic sugar substitue has anything else in it or maybe your taste buds are way different than mine?

I can't get cooked sugar to stay clear unless you do it the Lorann Oil way where you put it in the microwave--it's on their website. And because it doesn't get real hot it's pretty stringy--it doesn't pour well.

Hi Everybody,

I have been trying to follow all of these threads on these amazing tiles we all saw on Cake Challenge. However, I cannot keep it all straight! Do you need ISOMALT? Should we just use sugar? What temperature should we use? When and how do we add color to get the affect we all saw on T.V.?............PLEASE HELP!!! Does ANYONE know Jennifer M, or how to get in touch with her so that we can get "THE DIRECTIONS" to this Great Idea? I wrote to her contact email on her site and have not heard from her, as I am sure many others have done. To me, it is SOOO frustrating that all of us are trying SO HARD to get this right and there is someone who REALLY knows how to do it and no one has been able to get directions from the source. Jennifer, If you are reading this PLEASE, PLEASE, HELP US!!!!

If someone has actually gotten Jennifer's directions I have not seen it. If I am wrong, someone, PLEASE let me know!!

I apologize guys, but I am SOOOO frustrated!!! Is anyone else out there? So Sorry to vent to you all, but I REALLY want to do this correctly and not waste all of the Isomalt I have ordered!

Thank you all,
Lauri

cables4fun, you can use either but if the sugar cooks too long or too high of temp it will turn brow and change the coloring of your tiles. I made some tonight...didnt take long. 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 1/3 cup of clear corn syrup and 1/3 cup water. heat to 300 degrees add in color and pour into silicone mold. they came out right I just had pouring problems. If you look at some of the other threads there are slightly different versions of how others are making them.

ps just have fun with it....use sugar to practice before using the expensive isomalt!!!

Alice,

You are the best!! Thank you SOO much! I am going to try it with your recipe first thing in the morning! I would rather use sugar anyway, it is so much cheaper and I can experiment with colors more freely!

Sorry for my rant guys, I just know everyone loves this and wants a definitive recipe. I got so into it, I forgot it is suppose to be fun!!

Thanks Alice for the reality check, I needed it!!

Have Fun Guys!!

Thanks for all the info everyone ...

Also, the pour side is the side I use facing up -- the bottoms of mine are mat and dull also. I wait a few minutes for all the bubbles to subside out of the sugar, and then pour (straight from the pot, just estimating the thickness) into the molds when it is clear and glossy. It stays that way as it dries .. just make sure the little "tweak" at the top sinks back into the tile -- it can't be TOO cool -- it's just been a trial & error thing for me...

I think I'm going to try and write Jennifer M. ... maybe I'll hear back from her????

Amy

You can blow torch bubbles out.

ok just checked the other thread about this and MorselsbyMark posted this to me......thought it was helpful to share....

"Alice1230 - as I poured each row (my mold is 3 x 6), I tapped the mold to get rid of the peak. To keep the sugar at a pouring consistency, I just returned it to a warm burner for a few minutes. The result is definitely worth this step. I poured straight from a pot without a spout."

I just have one question...Where do you all purchase the mold from?

OK, I've been doing some experiments ...

These tiles are all done in REAL SUGAR, but I only cooked to 290 degrees to try and maintain the color. It's not as hard, but still hard enough to work with.

There is shiny dark pink (glossy side up)

Light pink shiny side up is mold lined in luster dust (glossy side up)

Light pink dull side up (the side lined in the dust) - kind of looks like stone???

What do you think?? I'm going to try little tiles later today ...

Amy

Oh very pretty! Did you dust your molds with luster dust brfore pouring? Is it humid where you are? The ones I made out of sugar pratically melted but i think its because it was so hot and humid here. How sticky were your sugar ones?

What does everyone use to color the sugar? I've never done any but I have my mold now and can't wait to try. I love the luster dust idea - can't wait for the reply!

regular gel color ... or luster dust in the mold itself ... or both!!!

These are soooo pretty, I have to try it

That's a good question, and I tried it ... makes no difference. I even read online that you should heat the sugar at high the whole time! It doesn't make a difference how fast it get's heated up, but the actual temp it gets to does ... I think sugar just gets that way, and that's why the pros use isomalt! Hope that helped!

not the answer i was hoping for! but i suppose you're right, that's why there's isomalt.

I made some sugar beer bottles sitting in ice. After trial and error I got the ice to come out clear. I mixed 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup corn syrup, microwaved the mixture for 6 minutes at half power, then again for 1 minute at full power. Then I poured it into the brownie molds I got at Michaels. Within 15 minutes they were hard as rocks and completely clear.

What are you guys doing about humidity? I've made poured sugar items before and have Isomalt. But the humidity makes everything go cloudy. In culinary school we packed sugar pieces (big ones) with dessicants for storage.

Do you have any suggestions leahs? I had wrapped my sugar bottles in cellophane wrap and when I unwrapped them in the morning they were covered with wrinkles from the cellophane. I had to dip my fingers in warm water and was able to rub out the wrinkles. On the plus side, when I rubbed out the wrinkles the foggyness also rubbed out and made the bottles clear and shiny like real bottles. So I found out the foggyness or cloudyness is only on the outside. The down side is that they became real real sticky. Most suggest storing the bottles in a cool dry place in air tight containers, I'm assuming a tupperware type. But I'm also leary about laying them down on their side as it's hard to find a cool dry place in mid summer in California and I don't want the bottles to flatten on one side because I lay them down. I think I would rather stand each one in a plastic cup and keep them in the fridge. However, Assuming I do put them in air tight containers do have a suggestion on which dessicants would be best?

Silica Gel (a dry powder) packets should work. I read somewhere that rubbing oil on the outside of gems will keep them shiny.

I don't have any real answers I just have some recent observations.

I used some venuance pearls yesterday and I din know you're supposed to nuke them in 5 second intervals so I just nuked the bejesus outa them. Like two minutes prolly.

Venuance pearls are like isomalt on steroids--really fancy schmancy sugar product to use for blowing and ribbons & stuff.

Let me mention that it was hotter than hades here yesterday the humidity was high. It was smoking outside --took your breath away hot & uncomfortable.

Ok I blew some of the venuance pearls--went to work ladeeda--came home --Dude, those orbs are still dry to the touch this morning--it's pouring rain outside--they are dry like a plastic toy is dry. d.r.y.

Interesting huh

Now some leftover isomalt I reheated and poured at the same time is sticky as all get out.

leahs, Thanks for the information. I hadn't even thought about oils to keep them shiny and probably not leave them as sticky. I think you are really on to something there. I'll have to do some experimenting. Thanks again.