Our latest project in Advanced Pastry was a Pastillage Showpiece. We were given certain criteria we had to meet but other than that, it was up to us what we wanted to do. We had to include a swoop, 2 10" circles for a base with something in between them to give them height, and a certain number of butterflies, flowers, and leaves, and "curls". I decided I wanted to make a piece that included an Amy Brown-like fairy.
We made the pastillage last week and made some initial pieces. Once we made the pastillage and I started working with it, I got a better feel for what I could and could not do with it. This made me change my original sketch. I wanted to make a sphere originally, but after working with the pastillage, I decided to change that plan. I went through several design sketches and had several plans "just in case." I made WAY more pieces than I needed, just to be safe.
I wasn't satisfied with all the pieces I made in class last week, so I went in Monday morning and made the box and more flowers. Wednesday we painted and put our pieces together. I was beyond stressed about this piece but I am SO thrilled with how it turned out. I love how I was able to give the fairy a second set of wings and I am loving painting on my pieces. Now that I've worked with it successfully, I feel that pastillage is something I can add to my repertoire.
2 comments:
Hi! First of all, I want to say I really love your blog! I've been following it for a while now, and it's just awesome to see all the fantastic creations you made, and I really like your writing style as well. Makes me want to start baking and cooking new things immediately! I hope to be able to read a lot more from you in the future :).
Second, I was wondering what this pastillage stuff is. Is it supposed to be eaten, of more like a showcase decoration? It looks great!
Thank you so much for taking the time to follow my blog!! It's always fun to see when people other than family and friends read it. :)
Pastillage is technically edible, but I wouldn't really recommend it. It is corn starch, powdered sugar, glucose, gelatin, vinegar, and water. It is very similar to gum paste, but it dries harder and is less susceptible to humidity. It can last for "up to a year" or more once it is dried and is used mostly for showpieces and some decorations. It is usually put together with royal icing, but sometimes hot glue is used in which case it is for sure not edible. lol.
Post a Comment