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Calling all sugar flower experts :)

post #1 of 28
8/15/12 at 6:50pm
Thread Starter 
I have to make 120 fondant/gumpaste carnations for cupcakes for my brother's wedding 9/8. I'm supposed to have been working on them (the flowers) little by little for a few weeks now, but I'm just getting around to trying them out. It's not been very successful!

I am using homemade MMF, with a little glycerin and a little Gum-Tex mixed in. I also got the three piece carnation cutter set. What I am finding is that the paste is too brittle when I ball it and it ends up being too fragile to handle without breaking. I've read several blogs, tutorials, and a few posts here about the same problem, but nowhere can I find what the best medium to use for this would be.

What do you personally think is best? Is it 100% gum paste? Is it 50/50? Is it store-bought that works best? Is the MMF the problem?!

Thanks!
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post #2 of 28
8/15/12 at 6:56pm
since I never used MMF I can't say if that's the problem or not.
Personally I'd use either 50/50 or straight fondant. I've made many, many flowers w/fondant and they hold up rather well. And mostly I used Wilton's fondant w/some added flavoring. Just roll it as thin as you can.
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post #3 of 28
8/15/12 at 6:59pm
Thread Starter 
kakeladi: But don't you find that it is too flimsy/soft for holding shape for delicate petals? I'd love to just work with fondant, but was adding Gum-Tex to make it firm up and dry faster.
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post #4 of 28
8/15/12 at 7:02pm
I use all gumpaste if I need flowers to dry quickly. A 50/50 mix is my personal favorite.
Tammy,
SIFTED
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Tammy,
SIFTED
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post #5 of 28
8/15/12 at 8:12pm
Adding Glycerine will hamper the drying.

I use 100% flowerpaste (Gumpaste ) for flowers.I use the royal icing tylose one and make it myself. You can get the petals much finer and the carni ruffles looking far more realistic.
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post #6 of 28
8/15/12 at 8:18pm
Thread Starter 
Chellescakes: but are they edible then? Do they taste gross!?
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post #7 of 28
8/15/12 at 8:26pm
How much Gumtex are you adding to the MMF? It may be too much for the amount of MMF you are working with if it is brittle and drying quickly. May be experiment with a 2" ball and adding about 1/8 teaspoon or a couple of pinches of Gumtex. Knead it in real good then let it sit in a plastic plastic wrap in a plastic storage bag for a hr. Then test its workability. I hope this helps. I also use shortening, just little with working with this. If it is really hard add drops of glycerine until it is in working condition.
……..”As long as we have memories, yesterday remains. As long as we have hope, tomorrow awaits. As long as we have friendship, today is beautiful.”
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……..”As long as we have memories, yesterday remains. As long as we have hope, tomorrow awaits. As long as we have friendship, today is beautiful.”
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post #8 of 28
8/15/12 at 8:59pm
I always use 1/2 gumpaste 1/2 fondant for flowers... Dries well, tastes fine and don't have to mess around with tylose or Gumtex icon_smile.gif HTH!
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post #9 of 28
8/15/12 at 9:47pm
I use homemade gumpaste for all flowers - it allows you to really thin the petals and it dries strong.

Does it taste gross? don't know - never really eaten it ..... BUT consider this....

Whilst technically EDIBLE.... each flower has had each petal mooshed in somebody's hand, rolled, cut, balled, curled, dried over formers, dusted with petal dust, wired together, steamed or sprayed with isopropyl alcohol, often bits are painted with confectioners glaze.

Me? nah I don't want to eat them........ and if people CHOOSE to eat them... they deserve what they get! lol

They are meant to be kept ! not eaten icon_smile.gif

Sometimes I think I should just keep my opinions to myself,  but someone has got to be the voice of reason 

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Sometimes I think I should just keep my opinions to myself,  but someone has got to be the voice of reason 

www.facebook.com/applegum

The BEST chocolate mudcake recipe
http://cakecentral.com/recipe/pams-chocolate-mudcake

Misc 3D Cakes
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post #10 of 28
8/15/12 at 11:13pm
What Pam said icon_lol.gif
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post #11 of 28
8/15/12 at 11:43pm
All sugatpaste here, and ditto what Pam said.

Carnations are really thin and frilly - I wouldn't want to mess with that at all using fondant or even 50/50. Nicholas Lodge recipe all the way.
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post #12 of 28
8/16/12 at 12:01am
Nicholas Lodge gumpaste 100% for all my carnations. I cannot imagine using fondant- they would just never come out. I can say they don't taste good, I took a bite one night icon_razz.gif
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post #13 of 28
8/16/12 at 12:24am
I agree, Nicholas Lodge recipe. I used to be intimidated by the idea of making my own gumpaste and I put it off for years. I got pretty good at coming up with elaborate ways to shape and dry my fondant flowers, assuming I had days or a week to dry them. Then I tried gumpaste and never looked back. It's so much easier, faster, and the results look a lot better.
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post #14 of 28
8/16/12 at 1:06am
Classic indeed,Image
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post #15 of 28
8/16/12 at 1:51am
100% gumpaste so you can roll and frill the petals really thin. allow each layer to dry for 24 hours before adding the next. A wire rack propped up on a couple of boxes gives you somewhere to hang the flowers upside down if they're wired.
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Baby Patrick, born 29th May 07 - and so cute!!!
Baby Shaun born 24th April 09 - gorgeous!!!
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