projects

DIY: Pastel Sprinkle Cake

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Erica OBrien in cake decorating, Featured, for the baker, for the bride, projects, tips + tools, wilton | 6 Comments

I created this DIY wedding cake as part of an ongoing project with Project Wedding. Look for more DIYs monthly.

I’m a sprinkle kind of girl, through and through. My ideal ice-cream-to-sprinkle ratio is 1:1. Actually, I’ve been known to forgo the ice cream completely and go straight for the sprinkles. And my movie theater candy? Sno-Caps, of course.

Although I love and appreciate the sprinkle for its confectionary prowess, it does lack a certain esthetic appeal, particularly the brightly colored rainbow variety that is so near and dear to my heart. Since pastel sprinkles are so hard to find, I make my own. And when Project Wedding asked me to create a wedding cake DIY, I knew exactly what I’d do.

1. Here’s what you’ll need (clockwise from left):

food-use only ruler

small sprinkles or nonpareils (available at most crafts stores)

piping gel (available at most crafts stores)

tapemeasure

small flexible cup

petal dust in desired shade (we like Crystal Colors brand)

food-use only paintbrush

ziplock bag

 2. Remove shaker cap from sprinkles to speed pouring. 

3. Empty into ziplock bag.

 4. Pour a small amount of petal dust into bag. (Remember you can always add more, so start with a little.)

5. Shake the bag until dust is evenly distributed. If color is not dark enough, add more dust and repeat until desired depth of color is achieved.

 6. Using tapemeasure, determine the spacing and width of stripes. 

7. Dip paintbrush in piping gel. 

8. Using ruler as a guide to acheive a straight line, brush a generous amount of piping gel onto cake with short, even strokes.

9. Repeat on the right side of line. You want the gel to be thick enough for the nonpareils to stick but not too gloppy.

10. Empty colored sprinkles into small cup. Try not to touch them so as not to rub off the petal dust.

11. Gently pour sprinkles onto cake. You will have many extra sprinkles. Pour onto a sheet of parchment creased in the middle and pour back into small cup. Repeat process until all lines are finished.

12. Enjoy!

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DIY: Ombré Valentine’s Sugar Hearts

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Erica OBrien in DIY, Featured, ombre cake, projects, vintage, wedding chicks | 17 Comments

This idea was inspired by a post I saw on Such Pretty Things. I forget what I was searching for when I stumbled across it, but I immediately thought the hearts would be just lovely in an ombré. (Until about a year ago and a half ago, I thought ombré was some kind of silken fabric. Silly me. Merriam-Webster defines it as “having colors or tones that shade into each other —used especially of fabrics in which the color is graduated from light to dark”.) This DIY originally appeared on The Wedding Chicks.

I should preface this post by warning readers about the dangers of consuming raw and/or undercooked eggs. I provided a safer alternative to egg whites that I termed “liquid meringue”, a mix of meringue powder and water. Feel free to weigh in on the safety of these ingredients.

Also, this DIY was created for both non-professionals and professionals alike, so I tried to use easy-to-find ingredients. Although I don’t necessarily recommend Wilton’s meringue powder to professionals, it is the most widely available to home bakers.

What you’ll need

Two cups sugar (or more, depending on the number of colors you want), divided

4 teaspoons (or more) egg white or liquid meringue (1 teaspoons of meringue powder mixed with 1 tablespoon warm water)

Paste food coloring (found at local crafts store)

Large cutting board, baking sheet, or other flat surface, lined with silpat or parchment paper

and

Baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper

Ateco aspic cutters or small cookie cutters

Additional:

Small and medium bowls, spatulas, rolling pin, measuring spoons, measuring cups, ziplock bags, butter knife

Optional:

3 x 4-inch treat bags, colored ribbon, cake to decorate

Step 1.

Place ½ cup sugar in medium bowl. Add a small amount of paste food coloring (we used a combination of Wilton’s Rose and Violet), and mix thoroughly. This will be your darkest color. (Hint: A little goes a long way and will darken once liquid is added in next step.) Add more if needed until desired color is achieved.

Add 1 teaspoon egg white or meringue liquid and mix thoroughly until the mixture resembles wet sand. Be careful not to add too much liquid or you will dissolve the sugar.

 

Step 2.

Empty contents onto silpat or parchment lined cutting board or baking sheet. Spread with hand or spatula and pat down, then roll over mixture with rolling pin to compress. Ideally, the flattened mixture should be as compact as possible and level, about ¼”. Press heart cutter into mixture and lift up. Place hearts on lined baking sheet. If cutter will not release heart, gently tap with the back of a butter knife. Repeat 10-20 times or as many as desired. If hearts will not hold their shape, add more egg white or meringue liquid in small increments and mix thoroughly. If sugar builds up in cutter, rinse with warm water and pat dry before continuing.

Pour remaining colored sugar back into bowl and proceed to Step 3.

Step 3.

Add ½ cup sugar to colored sugar  from Step 2 to lighten. Mix thoroughly. Add 1 teaspoon egg white or liquid meringue. If desired color is not achieved, continue adding additional ½ cup sugar plus 1 teaspoon egg white or liquid meringue and mixing thoroughly until desired color is achieved.

Repeat Step 2.

Continue with Steps 2 and 3 until desired shades and number of sugar hearts are achieved. We recommend at least three to five shades. Leftover sugar can be stored in ziplock bags for future use.

Step 4.
Heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat hearts in oven for 10 minutes. Allow to harden overnight. Sugar hearts will be the consistency of sugar cubes.

Design Options:
Place 10-20 sugar hearts in treat bag. Staple ribbon to bags. Tie ribbon. Can be given as gifts or used as favors.

 
For cake: Attach sugar heats to cake using royal icing. Begin with darkest color on smallest tier. Continue  with lighter colors.
  

  

Special thanks to Brooke Allison of Brooke Allison Photo, a genuine talent and all around funny gal.

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Stained Glass Cookies

Posted on November 29, 2009 by Erica OBrien in for the baker, projects, traditions | 3 Comments

This is one of those family traditions that you continue just because, well, it’s a family tradition. My sister and I loved making these cookies as kids, even though they look a lot better than they taste. I can still see my mom’s recipe, stained and torn over the years, that she’d sent away for with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. This was before the invention of the silicone baking mat, and the cookies stuck so mercilessly that each bite contained a bit of waxed paper that inevitably became a chewy wad in your mouth. Now, with the internet and Silpats, I reprint the recipe every year and the cookies don’t stick, but they still look way better than they taste, and so, the tradition lives on. I’ve adapted the recipe here.

Stained Glass Cookies  

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
30-40 hard candies (such as Life Savers), preferably in several flavors/colors

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with a Silpat.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add corn syrup and vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated. Add egg and mix until light and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed.
3. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture. Use electric mixer to blend just until flour is incorporated. Divide dough in half and flatten into two disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour and up to 2 days.
4. Remove any wrappers on candies and separate them by color.

5. Put candies into plastic bags. Use a mallet to crush candies.

6. Roll to 1/4-inch thickness on floured board. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes.

7. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.
8. Sprinkle the crushed candy into the hollowed-out centers of the cookies, filling to the edges. Try to keep the candy within the centers. Any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie.

9. If cookies will be hung as ornaments or decorations, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.
10. Bake 9 to 10 minutes. The candy should be melted and bubbling and the cookies just barely beginning to brown. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks to cool. Allow cookies to cool on pans at least 10 minutes; otherwise, the candy centers may separate from the dough. When cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container. String with ribbon if you want to hang as an ornament.



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