Pastillage

[cape chef]

Ok cchiu So you got the sugar thread in less then two minutes! How about Pastillage,What is it and how do you make it?
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[shroomgirl]

Better question is why?

[cape chef]

why not?
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[Nick.Shu]

because it can be very pretty. seriously though, i think the art side of food can be very, very satisfying and i would like to explore it a little more closely.

[mudbug]

Someone getting into cakes and candies?

Ok....

Pastillage = gum (based) paste = sugar paste = roll-out icing = sugar dough = icing sugar = fondant

Used for decorative work, easy to mould, shape, color and roll out. No need to wait for sugarpaste to dry before finishing final decorations on cakes. Possible to add gum so it will dry harder for modelling flowers or sculptures. Becomes very hard when dry.

three recipes:


Pastillage

1 lb. icing sugar
3 tsp. gum tragacanth or gum arabic - warmed to 97° F (optional, see note above)

5 tsp. water
3 tsp. powdered gelatine
Sprinkle gelatine onto water, leave to 'sponge', gently dissolve over hot water

2 tsp. white fat
2 tsp. liquid glucose
melt with the above

1 egg white

Place warmed ingredients into warmed mixer bowl, add liquids and egg white. Using 4 beater, beat until white and stringy. Place into poly bags, then into an airtight container. Store in fridge for at least 12 hours.
from: http://www.pastrywiz.com/wedding/wedding11.htm

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Pastillage

Ingrdients:
4 lbs powdered sugar, sifted about 5-10 more times
8 egg whites
4 drops acetic acid; pure lemon juice works (no pulp or seeds) color as required
2 tbsp gum tragacanth; this gives you the time to work with it, optional

Method:
Have sanitized stainless steel bowls
1. Lightly beat the egg whites.
2. Slowly add a third of the sifted powdered sugar.
3. Add the acetic acid, beating well
4. Continue adding the powdered sugar until half the sugar has been incorporated.
5. Add the gum tragacanth and mix thoroughly.
6. Allow to stand for at least 30 minutes; ensuring it is covered with a damp cloth
7. Slowly add the remaining sugar, kneading well with each addition of sugar.
8. When the desired texture and degree of elasticity has been achieved, saran wrap, then wrap in a
damp towl, then resaran wrap.
9. Roll out, using a dusting bag of cornstarch. posted by hans

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Pastillage

gelatin l oz.
cold water ll oz.

confectioners' sugar 5 lb.
cornstarch l0 oz.
cream of tartar .08 oz.(l tsp)

Stir gelatin into the water. let stand 5 minutes, then heat until the gelatin is dissolved.Sift together the sugar,starch, and cream of tartar.

Place the gelatin and the water mixture in a stainless-steel mixer bowl.

Fit the mixing machine with the dough hook. With the machine running at low speed, add the sugar mixture as it is absorbed.

Blend until you have a smooth, pliable paste. Must be kept covered. From: lisa

For MANY more recipes, look here:
http://www.google.com/search?q=Pasti...n&lr=&safe=off

[This message has been edited by cchiu (edited 12-22-2000).]

[shroomgirl]

OKOK sorry just feeling ornery. I decided along time ago that I did not want to mess around doing sugar work all the time. It seems that if you have a savory kitchen or even do desserts, sugar work is almost a totally separate entity....When i do sugar peek a boo eggs they take over the kitchen.
Everything is geared toward the sugar mess...
So, I go to others that do wedding cakes exclusively or order white chocolate roses. Instead of changing over everything to do something I can but would rather not do.
<long version of why>

[cape chef]

shroomgirl, Oh know I understand why!!!
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[shroomgirl]

So cc were you just asking to ask or are you going to play with sugar?

The peek a boo eggs I made were lovely....I colored the sugar shell then did white dots (like swiss dot material) and flowers over the top usually putting someone's name in the middle....then I liked lop eared bunnies and duck butts in the pond for my inside scene...swans were fun too.
Never got the front faces to look decent so I usually just did back views.
They were frustrating in that the shells were difficult to hollow out for every one I had make it at least 2 bit the dust. I even added meragine base to the sugar dye and water.....that's probably one of the reasons I haven't done them in several years.

[cape chef]

Actually shroomgirl I was just having some fun! Curious to know others experences with pastillage. I have made it many times,but not for sometime now. I don't really work in a place where that kind of work is nesassery.
I do understand the challenges of sugar work and it is all consuming so it is hard to both savoury and sugar work.As you said, "messy stuff" It is however a part of what we do as chefs and pastry chefs.When I took some classes from A,Kummin In the early 80s I was mezmerized by his sugar and chocolate work. So I felt it was important if I wanted to be a chef that I should understand it is a pastry chef must do. It is much more of a exact science than the savoury side. If you do something wrong....most of the time it just dosen't work. The last major piece of pastilage I did
was in 1992 We made the Capital!!!6 of use worked on it and it took about 4 days to complete.We displayed it in our main lobby during election time
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[shroomgirl]

WHEW! Glad someone does it, glad it's not me.

The problem is that you either have to do it or not, since it takes skill and therefore practice. I thought it was fun to play around with it until it started coming up.

The problem is that the work that you see in many magazines are exquisite but not really practical for the average baker or pastry chef. Plus I think that those wedding cake magazines touch up the photographs.

The country club where I work requires that the wedding cakes be done there...therefore by me. People see these gorgeous cakes in magazines that are impractical and not really tasty but that is what they have there heart set on. It's easy to fix of course---just charge them a fortune. But many times I have to tell them that I can't really do that...because I'm not sure I can take it on and it would involve so much practice.

Necessity takes all the fun out of working with pastillage and fondant and pulled sugar.

eeyore

[momoreg]

Just to clarify what pastillage is:

It is not the same thing as gum paste. It does not contain egg whites, gum arabic, gum tragacanth, white fat, or glucose. I don't have my exact proportions, but it is nothing more tahn water, vinegar, 10x sugar, gelatin, and starch. Period. Very easy to make, but difficult to work with if you're not fast. The stuff dries quickly, and eventually has a china-like quality to it.

Just thought I'd mention that, if anyone is interested.

Capechef, that must've been a pain to do the Capitol in pastillage! I would love to be a fly on the wall for that one!

[cape chef]

the recipe I use (or used to use) is
.5 oz unflavored gelatin (powdered)
5 liq. oz cold water
2 lbs,1.5 oz 10 x
5 oz cornstarch
Instead of vinegar I use 1/2 cup of cream of Tartar.
Although I have seen a # of recipes with vinegar. Depends on how much cold water you use.
momoreg If you where a fly on the wall you would of seen 6 crazy people working fast. 1 small section at a time. And one of use would make the pastilage as we worked.
Like you said easy to make but a pain in the arse to work with....BUT..when we we,re done what a cool feeling
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[m brown]

cape, i took classes with albert in the early 90's he is a wonderful human and incredible pastry chef ( the stories he tells)!

Pastillage is great for sculpting, ribbon making and I just love playing with it. I cut it with rolled fondant for flowers and leaves also add some to marzipan for a finer finish.

[cape chef]

M brown, Albert is like the brother,father,grandfather we never had...Remember shaking his hand? Huge!!worn skin but delicate. What a honer
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