I know way back in my early years I remember my mom making some kind of sugar substance and you put it in molds and once it dried it kept the shape. I am now looking for the recipe for the sugar. I know it had sugar, but I do not know what else it had in it.

Can someone out there help me?

It may have just been sugar and water, you know, making hard candy? You just have to know what temp to cook it to.

It was not heated. It was just pushed into the mold and it held the shape, you added something else to the sugar to help it hold together. Very fragile candy pieces once it was done. You had to be real careful not break then because they would easily break in half.

regular sugar or powdered sugar - I remember making the "mints" with powdered sugar and cream cheese like that

just regular sugar

HMMM, I wish I could help! Hopefully someone else will read this and know!

Isn't it just sugar and a tad of water? I'm thinking of the hard sugar eggs they make at Easter time, hollow them out and put little bunnies, etc inside the eggs. I've tried it but never got it to work for me. I've never tried it with a smaller mold.

Are you talking like the panoramic sugar eggs? Don't use sugar and water (as is commonly suggested in the sugar world -- water dissolves the sugar and the final product doesn't last as long.) Mix the sugar with egg white and mix well. It dries like cement and lasts forever. Now this is technically edible but I don't suggest eating it -- it's designed for making things like panoramic sugar eggs that you want to last year after year. Hope that helps some!

I used to make these all the time. They turn out beautifully. It is nothing but sugar and water. Just use enough water tomake it like damp beach sand. When you squeeze it in your hand, it sticks together. Color it as you want depending on the mold. (I had some ducks in flight which were really pretty). Put it in the mold, pressing down 'til it is packed. Then turn out on something (board, counter, etc.) and let sit. It will harden up good.

Regular Sugar Mold Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons water

Directions
Place sugar in a mixing bowl. Make a well, then add water. Add coloring (see sugar molding instructions). Mix by hand, kneading for about 1 minute until sugar is moistened and feels and packs like wet sand, making sure there are no lumps. Keep sugar mixture covered with damp cloth when not in use. For a sparkly effect, add 1/4 teaspoon of gum arabic to mixture.

Extra-Strength Sugar Mold Recipe

Ingredients
5 cups granulated sugar
1 lightly stirred egg white

Directions
Place sugar in a mixing bowl. Make a well, then add egg white. Add coloring (see sugar molding instructions). Mix by hand, kneading for about 1 minute until sugar is moistened and feels and packs like wet sand, making sure there are no lumps. Keep sugar mixture covered with damp cloth when not in use. For a sparkly effect, add 1/4 teaspoon of gum arabic to mixture.


There is further info on the following website.

http://www.wrenscottage.com/kitchen/tips/sugarmoldinst.php

Thank you all so much! That is exactly what i was looking for. I have to use the sugar and one one, it's going to be sea shells and they are going to go on a cake, and the decorator can't get the white chocolate ones to come out right.

Thanks girls! I knew I could count on you all!

cmp if you're trying to do seashells on a cake you might be better off doing them in fondant -- press the fondant into the molds, make flush with the edges and pop out, then dust with lustre dust. Having that much pure sugar on a cake may not be the way to go... Just a thought though.

By the way, in case any of you are interested in making Panoramic sugar eggs, there's an excellent DVD out called "Sugar Molding and Figure Piping for Fun and Profit" by Barbara Green. I have it and it's an invaluable reference!