Adventures in Gum Paste.

Doodle's birthday is approaching and since Patrick will be out of town the week before I am trying to get as much done as possible. This is to combat the very real possibility that I will descend into the seventh circle of hell the day before and ruin the party for everyone. Right. I will keep the cake particulars to myself for now but I can tell you that it includes some sculpted bits. The problem is that every ready made eat-able (I like the Willy Wonkaness of that term) sculpting medium has been cross contaminated by by peanuts or tree nuts. Enter the super deluxe extrafine women that work at Seattle Home Cake. I would insert their web address here except the fine ladies of Home Cake do not use the internet. Ever. No, really, it's that sort of store stacked to the ceiling with everything anyone ever needed to make, decorate, serve, transport or bury a cake. It is truly cradle to grave for cake bakers. Doodle's favourite spot are the ring molds. He stacks them up on his arms like a harem girl, the last time we were there I had to go back in to return the two that he stuck up under his sleeves. Gotta love a boy who wants jewelry!

Back to the sculpting issue. What is an intrepid ( and stubborn) mama to do? I printed off a recipe from the net for Tylose gum paste and headed out to Home Cake. They not only had all of the ingredients that I needed, they checked with their suppliers ( by phone!) for possible nut products. Once home the recipe proved easy! I am now the proud parent of three pounds of Tylose gum paste maturing in the refrigerator. I haven't tinted it yet but it looks like it will take the paste colourings very well, it's a snowy white, supple and not prone to cracking. Unlike gum tragacanth paste which can make a grown pastry chef cry. I've seen it happen.

This is one of the unforseen high points in Doodle's peanut allergy career. I am learning to make all sorts of things that I might otherwise have just purchased. Now, I am not going to throw "blessing in disguise" around because, well, it isn't. The fact that he can eat the wrong thing and stop breathing is in no way a blessing, disguised or not. It is however an education of a new kind and that cannot be underestimated.

Crusty and Daddy were busy this weekend working on a surprise for Doodle's party too. I won't ruin their surprise but I can show you this:








Any guesses? I can tell you that is requires electricity!

You can find Seattle Home Cake at:
Home Cake Decorating Supply Co
9514 Roosevelt Way NESeattle, WA 98115
(206) 522-4300
Tuesday-Friday 10-6
Saturday 10-4(Closed Sun-Mon)

And just in case you want to make your own gum paste. Here is the recipe from Sugarcraft.

GUMPASTE RECIPE USING TYLOSE (As Nicholas Lodge makes it) Tylose is an alternative product to use in making gumpaste instead of gum tragicanth. The advantage of the tylose is that the paste is less expensive, easier to make, holds up better in humidity and is whiter in color.
The 55 g container makes approx. 3 pounds of finished gumpaste. The following recipe will make approx. 2 pounds of gumpaste.
INGREDIENTS: 4 large egg whites 2 lb. bag of 10X powdered sugar 12 level teaspoons tylose (#TP100) 4 teaspoons shortening (Crisco)
1. Place the egg whites in a Kitchen Aid mixer bowl, fitted with the flat paddle. 2. Turn the mixer on high speed for 10 seconds to break up the egg whites. 3. Reserve 2/3 cup of the powdered sugar and set aside. 4. Turn the mixer to the lowest speed, slowly add the remaining sugar. This will make a soft consistency royal icing. 5. Turn up the speed to setting 3 or 4 for about two minutes. During this time measure the tylose in to a small container. 6. Make sure the mixture is at the soft-peak stage. It should look shiny, like meringue and the peaks fall over. (If coloring the entire batch, add the paste color at this stage, making it a shade darker than the desired color). 7. Turn the mixer to the slow setting and sprinkle the Tylose in over a 5 second time period. Next, turn the speed up to the high setting for a few seconds. (This will thicken the mixture). 8. Scrape the mixture out of the bowl onto a work surface that has been sprinkles with the reserved 2/3 cup powdered sugar. Place the shortening on your hands and knead the paste, adding enough of the powdered sugar to form a soft but not sticky dough. Usually I check by pinching with my fingers and they should come away clean. Place the finished paste in a zip lock bag, then place the bagged pasted dough in a second bag and seal well. 9. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours if possible before use to mature the paste. 10. Before use, remove from the refrigerator and allow the paste to come to room temperature. Take a small amount of shortening on the end of your finger and knead this into the paste before using. 11. Always store the paste in the zip-top bags and return to the refrigerator when you are not using the paste. Will keep under refrigerator for approx. 6 months. You can keep the paste longer by freezing. Be sure to zip lock closed. If you will be freezing a batch of paste, allow it to mature for 24 hours in the refrigerator first before placing into the freezer. I have kept the paste in the freezer for up to 3 years with no problems.