Me and Martha

This is a cupcake designed for Martha Stewart's Cutest Cupcake Contest

way back in 2008. Seems like forever ago.

If I had a letterman's jacket right now, I'd be sure to go and put it on while I reflect

on "the glory days" and my 15 3 seconds of fame as a finalist.

But I don't. Not even sure if they gave those jackets to girls back then.

Either way, I never owned one.

Does it look familiar?

Yep, same one used as my pic for Fairly Odd Mother.

It was the first baked item I felt I could confidently share.

Figured if Martha liked it, then maybe it was good enough to act on behalf of my face.

Let's be honest here, Martha probably never saw it.

But someone at her office must've sort of liked it a little.

It was surprising to see that there's still a link to the winners.

I stumbled across it when I was looking on Flickr at cake photos.

Too bad that all the entries aren't still on Martha's site.

There were tons of adorable creations by lots of crafty bakers.

It also looks eerily similar to another breakfast cupcake I made for the Jelly Belly Contest. Must've had hash browns for brains. The newer version was crafted with jelly beans in mind and included french toast with syrup and butter.

Breakfast isn't even my favorite meal.

Go figure.

Any who, the cupcake was topped with a white chocolate plate.

Coconut hash browns, bubble gum tape bacon with a gummy egg to complete the look.

I made over 50 of these for the office where I worked as a "Breakfast of Champions" to cheer on some of our team that had successfully completed a large and difficult project.

We even had champagne with orange juice that morning.

It  took forever to mold all the plates since I could only mold one at a time.

The assembly was much easier. I just took all the components to the office and a couple of us put them together on site. Laughing the entire time.

Looking back, those were some great times.

Lots of hard work but lots of fun and friendly people

to shrug off the tension of the work day with.

And never a dull moment.

I miss you guys!

Flowers from Wafer Paper and Frosting Sheets

Black & White Fantasy Flower hand cut from black frosting sheet & wafer paper, 6.5 inch diameter

I've been playing around conducting sophisticated experiments with wafer paper and frosting sheets in an attempt to elevate them from their most common uses. Punched. Flat. Predictable. My hope was to give them some fresh and modern possibilities in the process. Another goal was to create some flower techniques that haven't been done before. Or at least that I hadn't seen before. Like layering two sharply contrasting colors for a clean graphic feel. This flower is loosely based upon a bell flower petal and my interpretation of a dahlia.

There are lots of advantages to wafer paper. It is extremely lightweight so it can be used on the sides of cakes with no support or worry of gravity pulling it off. It's very reasonable to purchase and has a great shelf life. I bought mine online at Chef Rubber. It can be used for edible images by printing with an edible printer set up. It can also be painted or stamped on or airbrushed for a light and translucent application like a flower petal. If you don't have an airbrush, a light spray of color diluted with vodka does the trick. Marlyn did a wonderful tutorial as a guest post for Sweet Sugar Belle to share her airbrush method for  cookies. Her technique can be adapted for both wafer paper and frosting sheets. You can also draw or color on either medium with edible markers. Cake Central also has some tips for printing on both here.

Hand cut 6.5 inch diameter wafer paper fantasy flower w pearl dragee center lightly sprayed w pink & yellow

Wafer paper and frosting sheets can also be punched or hand cut with scissors or an Exacto knife. For those of us that don't yet own a Cricut or Silhouette. Haven't been able to justify the purchase price against my limited use quite yet. So I can't say just how wafer paper would work with an automated cutting system.

Hand cut 6 inch diameter black frosting sheet fantasy flower with silver dragee accents

Speaking of justifying the purchase, frosting sheets can be a bit pricey. I purchased a black package of Wilton's frosting ("Sugar Sheets") at Michael's for $3.99. Less a 40% coupon to ease the pain. It only contains one sheet. But what a nice sheet it is. Flexible, moist and almost vinyl like in appearance on the back side, all making it very easy to cut, punch and gently bend to curves. Not so great for sharp folds. But read on. I sort of overcame that hurdle. My earlier attempts with frosting sheets by Cricut left me wanting more. Perhaps I got a package that was overly dry for some reason but the outcome was less than desirable.

At times, the convenience of not having to mix a batch of fondant or gum paste up for just one or two accent decorations makes it worth the extra cost. The thickness of both wafer paper and frosting sheets are wonderful for petals with no pesky rolling out process. The colors are limited but can be enhanced with a light spray to create a new color or shade. The canned spray colors from Wilton are great for this. 

So how do they taste? Wilton's frosting sheets taste great. Not overpowering or overly sweet. Wafer paper doesn't have much flavor at all.  A little flavor can be imparted by using flavored vodkas when coloring or storing the sheets or finished decorations. Whipped Cream and Whipped Cream Chocolate by Pinnacle are among my favorites when coloring since there is no alcohol aftertaste.

Just four of the 32 flavors currently available from Pinnacle

This company has an amazing variation of flavored vodkas so finding one to compliment your cake flavors won't be hard. And a wealth of recipes for drink concoctions. In case you have some left over. Great for all your decorating needs. And they even have a Cotton Candy flavor!

When compared to gum paste as an edible cake component, wafer paper might be considered more palatable since it kind of disappears on the tongue and blends in with other flavors rather than becoming a rock hard decoration. Frosting sheets also blend into most cake flavors and although they become somewhat brittle and fragile when dry, they are much easier to bite into. You know. For that one guest that always wants to try the decoration when they learn it's edible.

Storing wafer paper or finished projects in a plastic storage bag with powdered vanilla also makes its flavor a bit more interesting. Cinnamon, cloves or other spices would also work. Just keep it separate from the flavoring with a layer of parchment paper cut to fit inside the bag or airtight storage container.

  

 Powdered vanilla comes in both imitation and pure. And other brands. You pick.

Disadvantages: wafer paper can't get wet or it will warp or distort as it shrinks during drying. This can also be an advantage if you are looking for a more natural curve for something like flower petals, leaves or a surface with bubbles. A little dampness goes a LONG way with either water or alcohol. Be sure to use just a small amount of alcohol during coloring and let the sheet or project dry between coats if a deeper shade is needed. A small paintbrush slightly dampened with water is all the glue you need for wafer paper. Frosting sheets become sticky when wet but will eventually dry back to their original color without warping.

Wafer paper also can't be placed directly on fresh buttercream unless the contact points have been treated with clear paraffin or a coordinating shade of thinned Candy Melts or chocolate. I haven't tested it on crusted buttercream

Jessica suggested trying a thin layer of Crisco as glue. Thanks! Can't wait to give it a try on my next flower!

Wafer paper can be shaped, molded and manipulated in all sorts of ways. Some great tutorials with some sculpting tips and ideas by Lisa Berczel for Chef Rubber can be found here and here. Let your imagination fly!!!

Update: a fellow member of Cake Central ("CC") mentioned that she'd seen a similar black and white flower on a pillow. Although she didn't mention which one, I also spotted the design on a pillow after I'd completed what turned out to be yet another unoriginal idea. I had to send away for the pattern anyway, just to see how similar it was. EERILY similar in design and construction. My version had a few less petals but other than that, they were spot on. Concentric circles for the base. Same shape of petals. My petals matched almost exactly when re sized. Way too odd.

I'd adapted the circle base from CC member awatterson's tutorial on dahlia construction.
Perhaps we both started there. Great minds or nothing new under the sun? hmmm . . .

Photo credit: SewYouCanToo

Sophia Pillow by SewYouCanToo on Etsy. Pattern is available here for $6.

Here's an idea I had for a rounded petal two-toned flower. Horrible picture. Sorry.

Same pattern as my solid black with silver dragees.

I hadn't made my two color version up in edible materials but except for the center, this paper mock up is

nearly an exact replica (I know - makes no sense to me either . . . I'm grammatically challenged as well)

of SewYouCanToo's Daniella Dahlia Pillow. Without the fuzz. Love the texture of her felted pillows!

She also doesn't use whatever colors she has handy. Purple and lime flowers???

What was I thinking?

Photo credit: SewYouCanToo

So I sent away for this pattern as well. Curiosity got the better of me. And I give up on originality.

After tons of research of paper crafting and quilting techniques that I might combine and adapt into an original fantasy flower, I learn that it's already been done in felt. Oh well. Maybe the 2-toned edible part is somewhat original? Or will be when I finish making it. So far I've only tried a few petals in edible materials using my paper flower mock up. Maybe we did the same research. All roads lead to Rome?

Is there nothing new or original in this digital age we live in?

At least I'll have some warm and fuzzy pillows to ponder it over.

For those of you that can't imagine cutting all those petals out by hand or would like to make them from more traditional ingredients like gumpaste, you may want to invest in some of these.

FMM offers a wide array of sizes.

If your still thinking of using wafer paper or frosting sheets and don't mind a smaller flower, these little guys work great. Just trim the petals apart and use the same method in the tutorial.

WHERE IS THE TUTORIAL?!?!?

Next post. I promise.

Tea For Me Too . . . Cake!

A while back, I made some edible tea cups from ice cream cones. I wanted to do something special with them. More than just use them as they were. Don't get me wrong. I'm not fickle. I still love them all by themselves on their little chocolate saucers. Very much.

But they seemed to be calling out for something more. When I saw this photo, I knew this was what they were born for.

I'd spied this adorable, "Tea For Me Too" tea set while browsing online several weeks before I ever finished all the teacups.

The colors of my cups were already dictated by the colors of Candy Melts since I'd made the saucers first.

And the handles to match. I didn't think it was too far of a stretch to use them with the dreamy watercolor art in this lovely set. When I finally completed the cups, I went back online to find the source of the photo. Ever do that? Find something and not pay attention to the source?

After some searching, I discovered it was from a company that I already knew and loved for their gorgeous cake pedestals. Small world.

I'm even lucky enough to own their three mini pedestals thanks to my generous sister-in-law. (She knows me and my love of cupcakes well! Thanks again TS!) Just days before, I had been lusting over & fondling admiring some of their collections on display in one of my favorite stores ever, Molbak's. TS also introduced me to Molbak's. BIG mistake. Or just a happy accident? Ask my banker.

Looking back, it seems like the stars were aligning themselves. If you believe in that sort of thing. Or fairy dust. Which, by the way, adds a nice sparkle to the piping gel tea. In grown-up terms it's called luster dust.

Although I was familiar with some of their products, I was happy to learn that Rosanna is located in nearby Seattle. Seemed like a very wise idea to try and get permission to use the art before going any further. Even as I pressed the "send" button, my heart was sinking and I was thinking that the cake would remain just a dream. I fully expected a stock reply with words to the effect of, "No, thank you." And, "Please see our legal department."

just a little of Rosanna's fame . . .

I also hadn't taken time to read all about the company yet.  Or I may have been too intimidated to even ask in the first place. I only knew that they sold my beloved pedestals and the tea set.

My goodness! They're huge! And famous! And in some very high end stores! After learning this, I was quite certain that the cake idea  was doomed before it ever began.

Even the top of the box is precious!

So, you could have knocked me over with a feather when later that same day, I received a reply giving me permission to use the art! Along with some splendid compliments on my teacup creations. I was (and am) elated.

I'd attached a photo of my edible teacups so they could see exactly what I had in mind. Chris Winn, Public Relations & Media Coordinator has been SO very far above and beyond nice with everything. Rosanna is lucky to have you representing her Chris! Thank you so very much for all the kind words and for putting my idea in front of Rosanna. And thank you Rosanna for letting me recreate the beautiful packaging on your tea set in cake! And frosting. And all things sweet.

Update: Thank you Rosanna for your generous compliments and mention in your blog! Food artist? I'm speechless.

I'm still in awe and in need of a good pinching. Her style is incredible. And her taste is impeccable. And she let allowed me to copy one of her lovely designs in cake!

Please read all about Rosanna and her company here. And for heavens sake, go out and get another pedestal already! A girl can never have too many!

I've got my eye on the small white one.
Perfect size for a future project in the works.

Oh . . . and these black ones!

And squares. I love squares. And tall and skinny with red velvet cake. . . ahhhhh. Easy to see how you could accumulate a rather large small collection with all of these delicious choices.

Meanwhile, back from my imaginary shopping trip . . . 

The cake is covered in fondant with edible images. And of course the edible teacups from ice cream cones with chocolate saucers on top. The tutorial for making them can be found here.

The teapot is molded from Candy Melts with a gumpaste handle. I rubbed the shiny finish down to coordinate with the rest of the set. The scalloped lace trim was hand cut from frosting sheets and had the tiniest holes along each scallop. Details, details!

This top view without the cups and teapot shows all the artwork hidden beneath the cups and saucers. And the cute logo. I also included a couple of special touches of my own. If you're going to play tea time, you might as well live it up!

Labels on the bottom of the cups and saucers. Just like the really fancy stuff.

And an edible tea bag made from wafer paper and filled with tea colored sugar crystals. Rosanna Sweet Tea Brand.

Sugar and spice and everything nice.

That's what Rosanna Bowles is made of.

Thanks for taking some time out for tea!

Teacups from Ice Cream Cones

I've had this idea in my head and on my list
of experiments to try for several years now.
The story of my life is to discover what I thought
was my very own original idea 
already done by someone else.
Oh, the joys and horrors of Internet
access to the rest of the world.

Edible Teacups by Cindy Littlefield for Disney Family

A few weeks ago, while on the hunt for some other ice cream
cone cups, my sweet new friend from Holland sent me this photo.
These weren't exactly the same idea as the one in my head
but close enough to get me off my backside and into
the kitchen to make my version.
Before someone makes that too.
I had shoved it to the back of the to-do list since most
of the little girls I know that play tea party are growing up
WAY too fast and may have reached an age
where they stop playing make believe.
I'm so VERY HAPPY to report that at least one of them is STILL
playing tea party and has no intention of stopping anytime soon!
Thanks for restoring my faith in never-ending childhood, Allison.
These will be great for your next party!

I tried several methods of covering the cones before

I landed on what I hope will work for all of you.
Among the many failures:
a thin layer of fondant, a double layer of white chocolate
to cover the tan showing through, and frosting sheets.
I also tried baking the cake batter inside the cones before coating them.
Unfortunately the cones became too soggy. And on and on.
You get the idea. I've been at it for a bit.

Here's one of the methods that finally worked for me.

Hope you'll give them a try sometime and let me know how these
turn out for you in your kitchen in your little corner of the world.
And send photos with links!
I'd love to hear how your experiment went!

At least two future posts will also be all about teacups.

I found a great new trick to coat them with chocolate.

Right after I'd perfected this one.

Wouldn't you know it?

A bit more expensive but much quicker and easier.

EVEN BETTER, in the very near future,

you can see the cake I created with these fun colored tea cups.

I'm so excited to finish it up and share it with all of you!

Did I mention that it has a tiny edible tea bag?

With tiny little "tea leaves" of sugar inside?

Be sure to check back soon!!!

Tea Cups from Ice Cream Cones

Makes about 10

EQUIPMENT:

Microwave oven

Microwave safe bowl(s) for Candy Melts, one per color

Small bowl(s) for painting, one per color

Grease free mixing bowl & beaters

Mixer for royal icing

Serrated knife

Sharp craft scissors

Small offset spatula or butter knife

Paper towels

Ruler

Rolling pin

Pizza cutter

Potato peeler or large knife

Artist's paint brushes

Small parchment or waxed paper squares

Disposable piping bags or freezer storage bags

INGREDIENTS:

1/8 c Gumpaste OR 1/8 c fondant plus 1/4 t Gum Tragacanth (+/- 20 cup handles)

Powdered sugar for rolling

Oreo truffle OR cake pop filling from Bakerella OR Rice Crispy Treats

14 oz Candy Melts OR white almond bark coating

Oil based candy colors if desired

1/3 bar household paraffin waxed, shaved

10 Keebler Ice Cream Cones plus extras for breakage

5 Kroeger Vanilla or Lemon Sandwich cookies plus extras for breakage

Piping gel tinted w/brown food coloring or pre-colored by Wilton

AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Colors

White White Icing Color by Wilton

1/2 recipe of royal icing mixed per recipe then thinned


OPTIONAL:
Mold for scalloped plate (by Life of the Party: Teacup set #D-78)

OR large scalloped cookie for saucer

Freezer to speed up setting

Heat or Halogen lamp to speed up drying
Large marshmallows & extra Candy Melts for alternate filling

NOTES: 

Not all Candy Melt packages contain 14 oz, especially the seasonal colors. Adjust as needed. Or not.

Exact measurements for the candy/wax proportions aren't critical when thinning the coating so adjust to your preference. 14 oz makes about 10 saucers with enough left to join pieces.

Gulf or Parawax brands of paraffin can be found in the canning section of most stores and contain 4 bars per package.

If the thought of thinning the Candy Melts with wax is unacceptable to you, you can get more info on thinning options here. Bakerella recommends Paramount Crystals but some other options are to add shortening or oil. I'm not sure how these would work, but please let me know if these alternatives worked better for you.

Substitute any shortbread type cookie for the Kroeger brand if it's unavailable. Size: 1 7/8" diameter x 1/4" thick with a scalloped edge.

These art brushes came in a set available at Michaels and are dedicated to kitchen use. They have a no slip grip and I like the white bristles for cleaning. It's much easier to see what's clean on all white. A little bleach removes any stubborn color & sanitizes them in the process.

The icing "paint" should be slightly thinner than white school glue. Not much water is needed to get the proper consistency. Color Flow didn't provide the sheen I'd hoped for. Most likely because it was brushed on rather than applied as directed. Royal icing provided the same effect as the Color Flow for this project. Be sure to keep your icing covered with plastic wrap as it will thicken and start to develop a skin if exposed to the air for too long.

Both royal icing and Color Flow contain eggs. If you need an egg-free color you can try the canned food coloring sprays from Wilton. Petal dusts and shading with thinned food colors may also work for you. These methods won't look the same as royal icing but you'll have some color nonetheless.

To save time and money I tried painting without the royal icing and just used Wilton's White White Icing Color tinted with AmeriColor gels. The cones never dried completely over 2 days so this method isn't recommended.

IN ADVANCE:

1)   Print out the template above to 8.5 x 11 paper & use to form scroll cup handles. Tape template to cookie sheet then tape plastic wrap on top. Let scrolls dry before moving.

2)   Knead Gum Tragacanth into fondant after tinting with color of choice OR use gumpaste. You can also leave the scrolls white and paint them later. This is what I did since I couldn't choose between all the pretty colors at first and wanted to keep my options open. Just be sure to allow some extra drying time after painting.

Pre-coloring the dough would've been easier.

3)   Roll out the dough to about 1/8" thickness and cut into strips 3" long  by 1/4" wide using pizza cutter. Form strips into scroll or curly C shape per template and allow to dry on their side. Make extras for breakage. Set aside overnight to dry. If you're in a hurry, you can also pipe scrolls from Candy Melts.

4)   Shave or grate paraffin wax into small pieces with potato peeler or large knife for quicker melting. OR use an alternate method of your choice to thin the Candy Melts.

5)   Mix shaved paraffin bits or other thinner of choice with Candy Melts or almond bark in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave per manufacturer's directions.

Note: I start with 2 minutes at 50% power. Stir. Microwave 1 minute at 50%. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds to 1 minute at 50%. You just want to make sure that all the wax has melted and that the coating is smooth. You may have to reheat as you go in 1 minute intervals at 50%.

6)   Fill scalloped plate mold and tap to remove air bubbles. Chill in freezer for a few minutes then unmold. Slightly warm the mold before you refill it if it's still really cold from the freezer. Repeat for as many cups as needed OR use large scalloped cookie of choice.

Note: You can lighten the stock colors of Candy Melts by adding a few white discs or mix up the colored discs to create your own shades. Adding oil based candy colors to white almond bark is another option.

7)   Sort and examine cones for large chips or breakage at the top rim, lower ridge and seam areas. Trim any excess bits from these areas as well as from the bottom of the cone so that it will sit level on the counter when drying. Be sure to do all the trimming and clean up the crumbs well away from any melted coating so that it remains crumb-free.

Some chipped areas can be salvaged by patching with royal icing before it's been thinned but an extra drying time is required before painting.

Another rescue maneuver for chipped areas is to trim the rim with your scissors at an angle to create a beveled edge. The amount of time you spend on this step may depend on your "customer" or recipient. Is a 3-year-old going to notice perfection? If not, don't kill yourself on the details. If the cones are too crushed, they can always be used as "Chip" from "Beauty and the Beast" or here's a wild idea,
fill them with ice cream!

I use Cutter Bee brand scissors by EK for trimming and dedicate them to food use only.

8)   Lay cone on it's side. Using a serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, trim the bottom or handle portion of the cone away just past the lower ridge line. Be sure to keep the knife perpendicular to the cone for a straight cut. The first cut around the perimeter should be more of a score with the second pass cutting the rest of the way through.

First round of sawing/cutting.

The knife can be slightly deeper into the surface of the cone

than shown above but not as deep as the next photo.

Second pass with knife a bit deeper into the cone.

The markings here show the approximate length of each cut before turning.

Turn the cone a little after each cut, about 8 turns in all, working

around the perimeter of the ridge rather than one cut straight down.

A paper towel both cushions the cone and catches the crumbs.

Simply shake off the towel and move on to the next cone.

Gently brush any crumbs from the trimmed cup (top of cone)  and handle (bottom of cone) parts and set aside.
Cone parts should be stored in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag until needed.

9)   Examine edges of cookies for any chips in the scallops and set the damaged ones aside for snacking. You deserve a break about now. Go ahead. And how about a cup of tea to go along with them? You can call it research if you're feeling guilty.

Okay. Rested. Now back to the project . . .

10)   Carefully pry the cookie halves apart with a butter knife and scrape the filling from the middles. Any remaining filling will act as a resist during painting but since this is the bottom, it's not that important. Brush any crumbs off and set aside. Store cookie halves in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag until needed.

11)   Make cake pop truffle filling of choice and refrigerate in covered bowl until needed.

INITIAL ASSEMBLY OF CUPS:

1)   Set out an equal amount of cookie halves, cone bottoms (which will become the temporary handles) and cone cups.

2)   Reheat Candy Melts/paraffin mixture to smooth consistency.

Note: Use the same color for this step as your planned color for the outside of the cup. The edible paint won't stick to the cooled coating since it acts as a wax resist. Take care not to get it all over your hands and on to the cone at this point. Like I did. Don't do as I do. Do better.

3)   With an offset spatula or butter knife, apply a small amount of melted coating to the bottom most edge of the cup. 

Note: You can also pipe the coating on if you'd rather. A plastic disposable piping bag is handy for melting and piping a small amount.

4)   Attach the bottom edge of the cup to the cookie with the embossed design on the cookie facing up. Use the outermost points of the triangles in the cookie's embossed design as guides to center the cookie on the cup. Gently but firmly press the cup to the cookie and hold in place for a few seconds with the palm of your hand. Be careful not to crush the rim.

5)   Spoon about 2 teaspoons of melted candy melts into cavity of cup and slide or wiggle from side to side while keeping cookie bottom on a smooth level surface. This should flatten and even out the coating. The extra coating is needed to keep the joint secure and hold the cookie base to the cup.

6)   Spread a small amount of melted coating to the outside bottom of the cone near the cut edge. Place the temporary handle piece of the cone upside down in the cavity making sure it is somewhat level. This temporary handle will be removed later but will give you something to hold onto during the painting step without smudging the paint. Set aside to harden or hasten by placing in freezer for a few minutes.

PAINTING THE CUPS:

1)   Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of royal icing into a small bowl. This is enough to paint about 4 cups and handles so adjust this amount depending on how many colors you plan to use. Add a couple of drops of water at a time and stir until the icing is slightly thinner than white school glue. Start by adding a couple of drops of AmeriColor Gel Paste in desired shade and mix thoroughly. Add more color until proper shade is reached. The color will change as it dries so, if this matters, do a test first. Colors can be lightened by adding a bit of white royal icing or some White White Icing Color from Wilton.

Note: To coordinate with the Candy Melt stock colors, I used colors from the AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Student Colors Kit. Wilton's White White Icing color was also added. Most icings deepen in color as they dry & this is no exception so adjust accordingly.

Orange - Add a drop or two of fuchsia to orange
Pink - Add a drop of orange to deep pink
Green - Leaf green & lemon yellow, drop of chocolate brown
Purple - Violet & fuchsia

Blue - Sky blue

Yellow - Lemon yellow & orange

2)  Holding the cup by the temporary handle, paint a thin coat of color onto the cup with an artist brush. Be sure to get inside all the crevices of the embossed cookie and under the rims. Paint the bottom of the cup or cookie last if desired or leave unpainted. You may want to paint just inside the cup a bit for a more finished look. Invert cone to bottom edge of handle to dry.

Note: You may want to paint the rim and slightly down inside the cup first with the cup sitting on the counter. A little extra paint on the edge helps hide any imperfections. Cones and cookies are porous, so you may want to give the cups a quick touch up after the first coat has dried if time allows.

Inverting the painted cup while it's wet can be a bit tricky. If you don't care what the bottom of the cup looks like, you can omit this step. The paint brush can be used to steady the bottom during flipping maneuver as you slide your fingers out to stand it up.

I couldn't resist the temptation to add one more little detail.

Edible image. Fine "Cone" China. Get it? Sorry. HAD to do it.

A small square of parchment or waxed paper can be used to place the wet cups on for drying. This is handy for sliding them around just in case you need more counter space and don't want to smudge your paint job. Pre-cut squares are sold as patty paper for burgers in Smart & Final or Cash 'n Carry and are quite reasonable in price.

FINAL ASSEMBLY OF CUPS:

1)   Carefully remove the temporary cone handle from the dry cup by gently wiggling it back and forth or loosen it with a thin bladed knife. These can later be filled with ice cream or truffle filling then dipped as cake pop mini cones.

2)   Check the placement and direction of the scroll on the gumpaste handle before applying the coating. Your working time is short here since the small amount of coating sets up rather quickly. The side seam is a great place to attach it and will act as a perpendicular guide.

3)   Dip the very edges of the dried scroll into the melted coating where they will meet the cup. Gently press and hold the handle against the cup until slightly hardened. Set cup aside to harden completely. If you need to adjust the handle once it's been attached, carefully pry it loose, scrape off any extra coating & try again.
Ask me how I know . . .

4)   Fill center cavity of cup with cake pop truffle filling or filling of choice.
Note: A large marshmallow with a bit trimmed off one end also works great. Glue the marshmallow inside by sticking a dab of melted coating on the cut end. This keeps it from floating up. Fill the rest of the cup with melted coating, swirling it around to cover right up to the rim. Tap gently to remove air bubbles and smooth the coating.

5)   Smooth the top surface and apply a thin coat of melted Candy Melts. The disposable piping bags come in handy here. An accent color can be used to make it look like the cup is a different color inside. Be sure not to fill the cup to the rim, leaving space for the piping gel "tea."

6)   Tint piping gel a light brown or use pre-colored piping gel from Wilton. Carefully spoon or pipe just enough gel inside the cup to cover the surface. Swirl slightly. Gel can be thinned with a small amount of water or light corn syrup if needed.

7)   Set the cup on top of the molded scalloped plate or use scalloped shaped cookie dipped in melted coating. This can be secured with more melted coating if desired. When picking the cup up, be sure to grab it by the plate rather than the cup handle. They are fragile and will most likely break off.

Thanks for stopping by and trying out my 1st tutorial.

And don't forget to check back soon for a fun way to incorporate these into a charming cake!

Meanwhile, have fun playing tea party!

Bottoms Up!