Run sugar - pumpkin

 

 

Materials/equipment

Desk lamp – angle poise                                               Royal Icing

Food grade cellophane or wax paper                            Liquid food colors

Piece of Plexiglas approx 10-inch sq.                            Masking tape

Small glass of water                                                      Small pallet knife

Plastic side scraper                                                       Small pair of scissors

Three No. 1 piping tips                                                Paintbrush No. 1 or 2

Leaf piping tip (optional)                                               Design

No less than seven small parchment piping bags

                                   

 

The design

Place approx. two tablespoons of royal icing on the side scraper, color yellow. Paddle the royal icing on the side scraper (using the small pallet knife) to break down the air bubbles/mix the color. Place half of the colored royal icing in a small parchment-piping bag with a No.1 piping tip.

   

Let down the remaining colored royal icing on the side scraper with water (dip the small pallet knife into the small pot of water, then paddle the royal icing). Continue to add water till the trail left by the pallet knife disappears at the count of ten thousand (most would say to the count of ten, but everyone can count to ten at different speeds, if you add the word ‘thousand’ i.e. one thousand two thousand most etc. most people will count at the same speed). Once the royal icing is the right consistence place in a small parchment-piping bag without a piping tip.

  

Repeat this process to fill a further four piping bags – two green and two orange. 

Fill another piping bag (no piping tip) with royal icing pale orange in color, run sugar consistence.  

Place the design on top of the piece of Plexiglas, cover with a piece of food grade cellophane or wax paper (larger than the design). Secure the food grade cellophane or wax paper to the Plexiglas with masking tape.

N.B. Masking tape is used due to the fact it will not leave a glue residue behind unlike scotch tape.  

 

Switch on the angle poise lamp (to heat the bulb). 

Outline the design in the appropriate colors (red line equals yellow royal icing), using the small parchment piping bags fitted with the No. 1 piping tip. If necessary use a damp paintbrush to correct the piped lines. 

  

Use the small scissors and cut the tip from the run sugar yellow piping bag. The opening should be no larger than a No. 1 piping tip.

N.B. The reason for such a small opening is to make it easier to control the flow of the run sugar. Also to cause the air bubbles to break as they pass through the opening in the piping bag. 

Carefully fill the eyes and mouth. Use a damp paintbrush to pull the run sugar into the corners.

  

Place the design under the angle poise lamp. This is done to dry the surface of the run sugar as quickly as possible and so retain the sheen. The bulb should be approx. 4 to 6-inches away from the design. The design needs to be under the angle poise lamp bulb for 3-5 minutes.

 

Remove the run sugar design from under the angle poise lamp bulb. Cut the tip from the end of the pale orange, orange and green run sugar piping bags (the opening should be no bigger than a No. l piping tip). Carefully flood/fill the tip of the stalk in green run sugar, fill in one orange section either side of the stalk and fill in the pale orange sections (you can only flood/fill one section of the noise or the defining line will be lost). Return the design under the angle poise lamp bulb (4 to 6-inches away from the bulb). Leave for 3 – 5 minutes.

  

Remove the design from under the angle poise lamp bulb. Flood/fill in the remaining section on the noise with run sugar colored pale orange. Fill/flood one section of the pumpkin either side of the stalk with run sugar colored orange. Return the design under the angle poise lamp bulb (4 to 6-inches away from the bulb). Leave for 3 – 5 minutes.

 

Fill/flood one section of the pumpkin either side of the stalk with run sugar colored orange. Return the design under the angle poise lamp bulb (4 to 6-inches away from the bulb). Leave for 3 – 5 minutes.

 

Fill/flood the stalk with the run sugar colored green. Return the design under the angle poise lamp bulb (4 to 6-inches away from the bulb). Leave for 3 – 5 minutes.

 

Fill/flood one section of the pumpkin either side of the stalk with run sugar colored orange. Return the design under the angle poise lamp bulb (4 to 6-inches away from the bulb). Leave for 3 – 5 minutes. 

 

Fill/flood the final section of the pumpkin with run sugar colored orange. Return the design under the angle poise lamp bulb (4 to 6-inches away from the bulb). Leave for 3 – 5 minutes.

 

Fill/flood the leaf area with run sugar colored green. Return the design under the angle poise lamp bulb (4 to 6-inches away from the bulb). Leave for 1 – 2 hours.

 

Place the run sugar design in a warm environment to completely dry.  

N.B. No matter what the size, all run sugar pieces should be completely dry in 24 hours. 

Release the sugar design from the food grade cellophane or wax paper, by wrapping a piece of cotton thread around both index fingers. Pull the thread taught and carefully slide under the run sugar design.

  

Complete the design by piping the leaves. Either use a leaf-piping tip of cut a small ‘V’ from a filled (green royal icing) parchment piping bag.

  

Pipe the leaves from either side of the design working towards the middle.

  

The completed run sugar pumpkin.