Mastic is widely used by many homemade baking lovers. From the article, you will learn how to properly prepare a thick paste, how to completely cover the finished product and how to sculpt figures and flowers.
Mastic is a sweet, thick paste that is used to decorate pastries. Various methods of making mastic allow it to be used for wrapping cakes, creating individual inscriptions or patterns, forming flowers and figures.
How to sculpt figures from mastic
To make figurines, you need a thick mastic that does not spread and retains the shape given to it. A properly prepared sculpting mass is similar to plasticine.
Features of mastic for figures
Gelatin gives the paste the desired consistency, but there is an easier way to prepare "confectionery" plasticine - this is the use of marshmallows. With the help of mastic, small and complex details can be easily molded from small, marshmallow-like candies.
Usually marshmallows consist of two halves of white and pink, or of intertwined flagella of several shades. To form the figures, paste is used, painted in different tones, so choose a white marshmallow. Subsequently, it will be easy to give such a mastic the desired shade.
For the manufacture of figurines, confectionery mastic alone is not enough. In addition to it, you may need: food colors, pastry rolling pin, cling film, food glue, molds, toothpick, skewer, pastry brush, food markers.
Marshmallow mastic recipe for sculpting figurines
- Caloric content per 100 g - 392 kcal.
- Servings - Any Amount
- Cooking time - 20-25 hours
Ingredients:
- Marshmallow Marshmallows - 1 pack
- Sifted icing sugar - 1 cup
- Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
- Butter - 1 tsp
- Sifted potato or cornstarch - 0.5 cup
Method of making mastic with marshmallows at home:
- Take a deep glass bowl and place the marshmallows in it. You can use microwave ovenware.
- Add lemon juice and butter.
- Place in microwave for a few seconds. The marshmallow should begin to melt, but should not be brought to a complete dissolution or boil. As a rule, it takes 25-30 seconds to achieve the desired consistency, but due to the different power of the oven, this process can take place faster or longer in time.
- Remove and mix until smooth.
- Mix the starch and icing sugar.
- Gradually add powder with starch to the mass, stirring thoroughly each time.
- When the mixture becomes thick and plastic, stops sticking to your hands and starts to shine, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for a day.
The recommended holding time of the finished mixture in the refrigerator is from 24 hours or more. But before using the mastic to decorate the cake, it should be kept indoors at room temperature for several hours, without removing it from the film.
Advice! Always use commercially available powdered sugar when making mastic. It should be very small, which cannot be achieved at home. If there are grains of sugar in the powder, the mass will begin to break.
How to paint mastic for making figurines
Before sculpting, you should paint the mastic in the desired colors. To do this, use natural helium dyes. They are very economical, thick and concentrated, making it possible to obtain both bright saturated colors and delicate warm shades.
To color the mastic, separate a small ball of material, make a depression in the center, and add some food coloring. Then stir the mixture vigorously until smooth. After staining, each piece must be wrapped with cling film to avoid drying.
You can paint an already finished figure with a brush, but in this case you need experience and good artistic ability. It is important not to paint on different parts of the figure, to be careful.
Making figurines from mastic
The basic design principle of the figurine itself is quite simple:
- If you plan to transport the finished product, it is recommended to make a wire frame that will securely fix the position and individual parts of the mastic figure. The frame is made in the case of a strong inclination of the figure.
- The face of a cartoon character or a person can be made using a special mold, or using ordinary dolls with a relief profile.
- Various parts, such as the head and torso, are connected using toothpicks or a skewer.
- Small details such as fingers, clothing fringes, etc. are cut with a knife or art stack.
- Patterns on the surface are drawn with a toothpick.
- Details such as eyes, lips, eyelashes, eyebrows, small pieces of clothing are painted with food markers.
- To add shine to elements or to give a natural look, use kandurin. It is bred in vodka and applied to the figurine with a brush.
The finished figurine hardens for several hours and is stored in a closed container at room temperature for up to 10 days.
Important! During the sculpting process, do not remove the bulk from the cling film. After separating the desired piece from it, immediately wrap the edges of the film so that the mastic does not harden.
How to make flowers from mastic
Flowers are the most popular, showy and traditional decoration for cakes. Mastic for creating flowers is especially flexible, since it is rolled out in a very thin layer that should not tear.
Milk paste recipe for flowers
To create simple compositions, you can use the dairy recipe:
- Mix equal proportions of sifted icing sugar, powdered milk and condensed milk. Knead until a homogeneous, thick mass is obtained.
- Divide the mixture into several parts and paint with food coloring.
- Wrap each part with cling film and put in the refrigerator for a day.
If you want to make more complex flower bouquets with thin, delicate petals and miniature details, it is necessary to use stabilizers as an ingredient, which in their properties resemble food glue.
Marshmallow flower mastic recipe
Ingredients:
- Egg white - 1 pc.
- Tragant - 2 teaspoons;
- Sifted icing sugar - 250 grams.
In addition, you will need pre-prepared marshmallow mastic.
Method of making marshmallow flower mastic for cake:
- Mix protein, tragacanth and powder until smooth, plastic mass.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and leave for 4 hours.
- Add marshmallow mastic in a ratio of 1/3 to the previously prepared mass, mix thoroughly, wrap in plastic and leave in the refrigerator for a day.
There are also more complex recipes when carboxymethyl cellulose (food stabilizer E466), culinary shortening, astragalus gum and other elements are introduced into the mass.
Advice! To make the mastic roll well and not stick to the inventory, wrap the cutting board with cling film, sprinkle your hands and a rolling pin with powdered sugar or starch.
How to form flowers from mastic
To form beautiful buds, you will need: a ball for mastic, foam rubber, foil, molds for cutting flowers and petals, silicone weiners, a toothpick.
An example of making a rose from mastic:
- Prepare the core for the flower - form an elongated circle in the shape of a drop and leave to dry for 2 hours.
- Roll out mastic pancakes with a thin layer, cut a flower with a mold. Run a ball around the edges of the leaves to give them a natural, curved shape.
- Place the core on one end of the toothpick.
- Place the cut flower on a foam stand and pierce the center with a toothpick so that the core sinks onto the petals.
- Fold the petals onto the core in the following sequence: 1, 3, 5, 2, 4. This will make the rose look more natural. Leave the workpiece for 10 minutes.
- Make the next layers three-leaf, i.e. remove the 2nd and 4th petals. The procedure for imposing on the workpiece is the same as in the previous paragraph.
- Repeat this manipulation with the remaining layers until you achieve the desired bud thickness.
- The flower is dried head down.
If the petals of the flower do not adhere tightly to one another, as, for example, in a lily or an orchid, then thin foam inserts are placed between the layers. Such flowers are made on foil, which is placed on top of a glass, creating a small depression. To make the layers better connect to each other, you can lightly lubricate the attachment point with a brush dipped in water.
Special cuttings will help to achieve the desired shape of the petals and leaves; you can make veins with a weiner or a toothpick. You can buy special confectionery tools that include all the necessary tools for shaping and patterning.
If you don't have time for complex manipulations, use a 2D mold. Mastic of different colors is placed in the mold, placed in the freezer for 5 minutes, then the finished flower is carefully removed from the mold.
Dry the mastic decorations well at room temperature and attach them to the cake just before serving. If you fix the flowers in advance and put them in the refrigerator, they will become saturated with moisture and fall off.
DIY pastilage
The recipe for mastic with gelatin or pastilage is often used to create complex flowers or figurines with miniature elements for decorating a cake. Such a mass retains its given shape well, is very plastic and hardens quickly. At the same time, gelatinous mastic is quite cheap financially, unlike other types.
Making pastilage is not easy. In order for the mass to have the desired consistency, not to break during rolling and not crumble, it is required to strictly observe the technology of working with gelatin.
Ingredients for pastilage:
- Gelatin - 25 g;
- Sugar - 2 cups;
- Powdered sugar - 1, 2 kg;
- Starch - 300 g;
- Water - 1 glass;
- Maple or corn syrup - 170 g;
- Salt is on the tip of a teaspoon.
Method of making cake pastilage:
- Pour 0.5 cups of cold water over gelatin and leave for several hours.
- Put the gelatin on fire and hold until the lumps are completely dissolved. Do not bring to a boil, otherwise the product will lose its properties. Strain.
- Combine sugar, syrup, salt and 0.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Dip the mixer into the hot mixture and begin to beat, slowly adding gelatin.
- Whisk at maximum speed until the total mass is significantly increased. The mixture becomes airy, fluffy and white, increasing from its original volume by almost 3 times. The desired consistency is usually achieved in 10-13 minutes.
- Replace the whisk attachments with spirals and continue to knead, gradually adding the powdered sugar.
- As a result, you will get a thick snow-white mastic, which must be covered with cling film on top and left at room temperature for a day.
- The next day, place the mastic from the bowl on a thickly starchy chopping board. Knead the mass, wrap it in foil and put it in the refrigerator for a day.
Be sure to sift the flour and strain the gelatin through a fine sieve before using. Not dissolved lumps make the mass less elastic, it begins to tear when pulled, loses its even, homogeneous structure.
How to make mastic for wrapping a cake
The cake wins in beauty and taste when completely covered with a delicate and thick paste. Covering the surface of the cakes will not be difficult if you choose the right mastic recipe.
Sugar mastic recipe
Sugar mastic is suitable for decorating a cake with a monochromatic filling. It has a very soft texture, rolls out well in a thin layer and is evenly distributed, covering the cakes. You can also use milk or marshmallow paste.
Ingredients:
- Gelatin - 2 tablespoons;
- Powdered sugar - 3 glasses;
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Cooking method:
- Place the instant gelatin in cold water for 40 minutes. Put on fire and melt until the lumps disappear completely.
- Add the icing sugar and mix thoroughly.
- Enter the dye, if you plan to get a mastic of a certain color, mix until an even tone is obtained.
- To make the mass less cloying, add lemon juice.
- After kneading the paste, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a day.
How to wrap a cake with mastic
Fitting a cake is easy enough. The main condition is to level the sides and surface of the product using marzipan paste, ganache, butter cream or condensed milk.
The cake should not be overly soaked and the surface should not be damp. Put it in the refrigerator after flattening to make the cream firm.
The cake is covered with mastic as follows:
- Place the mastic on a foil-covered cutting board, knead and roll out with a rolling pin so that the surface is no thinner than 3-4 mm.
- Measure the cake based on its diameter and height. The rolled mass should cover the entire cake, while at the edges there is a margin of 10-15 cm. This diameter will allow the mastic to lie flat and evenly distribute over the entire surface.
- Gently lift the mastic and cover the cake, carefully smoothing over the top cake and sides.
- Cut off the excess pasta at the base with a pizza knife.
- Smooth with a spatula.
- If the blade is torn, you can smooth the hole with a brush dipped in water.
How to make cake mastic at home - watch the video:
Homemade mastic is an original and tasty decoration for homemade baked goods. You can completely wrap a cake with it, make beautiful patterns, flowers or personalized inscriptions, sculpt figures or create a voluminous composition on a product that will delight the craftswoman and surprise guests.
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