Isomalt wings

I have seen it done where you have two silpats - one as a base mat, and the other with butterfly cut-outs (yes, expensive way to use silpats - cut them into pieces!) then the liquid sugar/isomalt is poured into the wing shapes and allowed to set within the cut-out area. I hope this makes sense!

Well, the show I saw it on, they spooned in the liquid sugar into the wing shape. The end result was not crisp clean lines, but still definitely wings! They used swirled colours through the sugar too - just a few drops of colouring.

No...sorry, um - one silpat had a butterfly shape cut out of it, and it was placed on top of another silpat. Then they spooned liquid sugar onto the top, pushing it with the spoon, as it was cooling. Any bits that are over the edge of the top (cut out) silpat are lifted off when you lift the top silpat from the bottom one. There should be a butterfly shape left on the bottom silpat after you lift the cut-out off it.

I don't thinkk this is a good method really, unless you're doing them every day! I'll check out some more of my sugar art books and get back to you, k?

Okay - there are two other methods that I looked at to refresh my memory, but its using sugar:

1. Using a base sugar (ie water/sugar/glucose instead of your isomalt, made into pieces that can be then heated and moulded) you can soften the base sugar, stretch it until pearly white in colour (or a lighter shiny colour than the colour you've tinted the base sugar) and press into a wing mould, as you would gumpaste, let it harden slightly and then remove, place on non-stick paper to harden completely.

2. Free-form piping: prepare your base sugar mixture to cracking stage (using a sugar thermometer gives best results), then pour into a paper piping cone. Using a secured piece of non-stick paper on your work bench, snip corner of bag, and letting your hand rotate freely, pipe loops of the sugar mixture to form lacey wings (they will have holes in between the loops).

If you like a bubbly effect, you soak a non-stick pieve of paper in clear alcohol, and pour/pipe a wing shape onto the paper and allow to dry. The alcohol reacts with the sugar and forms bubbles inside the clear hard sugar wing.

I have used the second method and its a bit hairy trying to handle hot sugar (wear gloves for a start) without burning yourself, LOL...but the effect (I made large butterfly wings for a cake topper) was beautiful - big red glossy toffee butterfly wings!

HTH...(by the way the above methods are taught by a french chef who specialises in sugar art in Sydney - Herve Boutin).

If you can get the book by Eward Notter, you will have all the information you'll ever need. Sadly the book is long out of print and you'll pay hundreds for it, IF you ever find a copy. The author is an internationally renowned sugar artist who now teaches at his pastry arts school in Florida...read all about him at: http://www.notterschool.com/continuing.html. Presumably he wants ppl to do his courses rather than learn everything out of his book.

Herve Boutin taught at Le Cordon Bleu Institute in Sydney about 10 yrs ago - and I'm sorry but I do not know if he still does. Perhaps you could look them up and they may redirect you if he does not? He's well known as the authority on blowing, pulling and handcrafting sugar. The book I have by him is a slim volume from the Cake Decorating Skills Series (Book 2) - Sugar Pouring, Pulling and Blowing (try eBay, it occasionally comes up). I have toyed around with various techniques, but would really love to do a course, too (hey - if you find out about any short courses, can you let me know and I may be able to come down to Sydney to do it with you?). I am *this close* to buying a bulb and tubing set ($170!) to start blowing sugar, but really don't have unlimited time to experiment with all the other work I have on!

I got interested in the art after doing croquembouches with spun sugar...there's so much more you can do.

Can you pm me if you find out anything more about courses? That would be excellent!!

- Eve

Boring or Evimore, could you tell me where I? can purchase Isomalt in Australia please?

Sorry, that should have read Evoir.

Just call me Eve

There is a molecular gastronomy company in Sydney that has an online store, and they sell it:

http://www.redspooncompany.com/

Thank you very much Eve!

Okay I have a question -- can isomalt be airbrushed? Like if I make butterfly wings or something, can I airbrush them?