The Beauty of Isomalt

That fabulous shard of pink "glass" sitting atop my latest cake creation - and my first for a paying client I might add - is made from something called Isomalt and would it surprise you to know that it is incredibly easy to work with.

As I look to elevate each bake I want to keep challenging myself with new techniques and new mediums which is where this innovative form of sugar comes in. Isomalt. It comes in a granulated powder which you heat up either in a microwave or on the stove top. I opted for the latter, mainly because... well I don't have a microwave! I also opted to colour my Isomalt, though you can of course leave it clear.

What you need to invest in when working with Isomalt are the following: a small stainless steel saucepan, a silicone mat (perhaps two) and some kind of heatproof spoon or spatula like the silicone spoon pictured above.

Once measured and transferred to my stainless steel pan I added some food colouring. You only need a tiny bit and my advice is to use gel food colouring as opposed to liquid based colouring as the latter can alter the consistency of your mixture. Stir the white powder in your pan every so often and watch it slowly melt down just like regular sugar. It will become liquid.

As soon as it has become liquid take it off the heat and pour it onto your silicone mat. At this point you need to work quickly so have an idea of what you plan to do with your isomalt before you start working with it. In this instance I lifted and tipped my mat one way and then the other to spread the mixture out and create a more interesting shape. I then added some sprinkles and waited for it to set which it will fairly quickly.

For my second isomalt foray I used more of the granulated mixture with the intention of creating an isomalt sail! The process for melting and colouring is the same as aforementioned but in setting it I let it cool briefly (for about 30-40 seconds) once I'd poured it onto the silicone mat and spread it around a bit, then I rested it over a wine bottle with a second silicone mat underneath the bottle to catch the drips. Once dried, I carefully extracted the Isomalt creation ... be very careful, they crack so easily... et voila!