Marshmallow is a kind of soufflé, a sweet very popular in English-speaking countries. It has a distinct sweet taste and firm texture and is sold packaged in sachets. Children love soufflé sweets, and housewives use marshmallows as a basis for homemade mastic, from which you can sculpt flowers, animals, men and other decorations for pastries and cakes.
Making sugar mastic
Making marshmallow mastic is not difficult, the main thing is not to save on powdered sugar. Buy more of it, and choose a quality product of very fine grinding. Sugar crystals caught in the powder can spoil the finished mastic. Therefore, it is better to sift the finished product before use.
On sale you can find marshmallows in different colors. The most common ones are white and pink soufflés, but blue, cream, lilac or greenish candies come across. Before you start making mastic, sort them by color. If you plan on dyeing finished products, opt for a white soufflé. For sculpting flowers, you can use color.
The color of the mastic can be enhanced by adding ready-made food coloring in the form of a liquid or paste.
You will need:
- 100 g marshmallows;
- 1, 5 cups of fine powdered sugar;
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Put the soufflé in a bowl, add lemon juice and melt in the microwave until smooth. Add food coloring and stir if necessary. Cool the mixture slightly and add the powdered sugar in portions, stirring the mixture constantly.
When the mixture is thick enough, place it from a bowl on a wooden board and knead with your hands, continuing to add the powdered sugar. The finished mastic has a homogeneous, plastic texture, it does not spread and does not stick to your hands. If the mass begins to crumble, sprinkle it with water, add more powder and knead for a few seconds.
Wrap the finished mastic tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for half an hour. When the mass hardens, you can start creating figures.
If you have any unused mastic left, wrap it tightly in plastic and put it in the refrigerator for storage.
Sugar mastic: small features
From the finished mastic, you can sculpt various figures - they turn out to be voluminous and keep their shape well. To prevent the products from blurring, blind them in advance and dry them by spreading them out on the board. You need to decorate the cake with marshmallows just before serving - this is especially important if you plan to place the decor on a layer of cream.
If you want to decorate the cake ahead of time, cover it with a layer of thinly rolled marzipan or thick icing before decorating. Such a protective layer will not allow moisture to spoil the mastic products.
Finished mastic products can be colored. Prepare a concentrated solution of water and food coloring and use a brush to apply it to the figurine. Do not make the staining solution too thin, otherwise the water will soak the mastic.
Figures and flowers from mastic can be prepared for future use. Blind the pieces, dry them and put them in a cardboard box with a lid. Sugar mastic can be stored for several months in a dry and cool place.
