How to:
Sculpting Sugar Flags
Sugar flags are a simple way to top off any cake or dessert with something festive. They can also be made of paper if you’re on the fly, but when they’re made of sugar it adds an extra dreamy edible flair. They keep well when stored in an airtight container in a cool environment. I like to make extra to have on hand for a last minute cake or pie accent for an easy and impressive touch!
TOOLS:
- white Sugar Paste (page 59)
- cornstarch in a muslin bag for dusting
- silicone rolling pin
- damp tea towel wrapped in plastic wrap (see page 134)
- utility knife
- fine-tip paintbrush
- 1:1 mixture of water and corn syrup
- 18-gauge wire trimmed to 7-inch lengths
- fruit carton for drying
- vibrant or sparkle powder dye
- vodka
Knead a plum-size amount of sugar
paste on a nonstick surface to bring to room temperature. Dust your
surface with cornstarch. Using the silicone rolling pin, roll out
the sugar paste to a thickness of ¹⁄16 inch. Rotate the paste evenly as you
roll out, as you would for a piecrust. If the sugar paste begins to
stick, dust more cornstarch on the surface. Cover with the
plastic-wrapped tea towel to prevent the sugar paste from drying
out.
Use the utility knife to cut out a
variety of long triangular shapes. I like to cut these out by hand
so each one is completely different.
Place the triangles in the tea towel
as you work to prevent the sugar paste from drying out.
Use the fine-tip brush to apply the
water–corn syrup mixture to the base of a triangle.
Place a wire about ¹⁄16 inch from the edge. Fold the edge
over the wire and press gently.
Set each flag on a fruit carton,
letting waves form in the flags, and let dry for 48 hours.
To finish, paint the wires with a
vibrant color or metallic sparkle made by mixing powder dye with
vodka.
Insert the flags into the cake to
the desired height.
If needed, touch up the wires with
the paint mixture.