How can I make those little icing flowers myself?!

[Snowstorm]

We've got lots of fetes and things coming up and the DD's LOVE decorating fairy cakes to take along BUT those little icing flowers that you buy from the supermarket are very expensive and I would like to try and make some myself but I'm not quite sure of the ingredients ... is it just icing sugar and water, piped into a flower shape and left to dry?!

My DH says they are expensive for a reason ... but I thought that someone on here was bound to know how to make them and could let me know whether they are a realistic 'project' or not!

TIA.

Snowstorm you could use fondant icing which you roll into different shapes, or make individual petals which you than assemble into a rose.
Fondant Rose
Fondant icing recipe

Just icing sugar and water won't work, I'm afraid, it won't set at all. Fondant icing sets semi-hard but is still a bit squishy. If you want them to set properly hard, like the ones in the shops, then you need royal icing. Oh dammit, now I am salivating and dreaming about fondant icing - I always have to buy more than I need 'cos I can't stop eating the bloomin' stuff

I think Royal Icing would set rock-hard in this weather though, wouldn't it?

You can make them with fondant icing kneading with a bit of tylose to make it set hard, then either make them by hand or use cutters depending on what "look" you want.

I'm not trying to do anything fancy - just those little super-hard flowers that Sainsbury's sell in the cake decorating bit - they come with those shiny teeth-cracking ball's in the middle - they are very small!

Tinkjon - I can't believe that you like fondant icing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You do it with royal icing and a flower nail which you put a little square of greaseproof on and then pipe 5 petals as you turn it round in your non-icing bag hand. With a bit of practice you can churn 'em out and they keep for ages.

PS. Can you 'pipe' fondant icing? I'm kind of relying on a recipe whereby I 'pipe' the funny little flowers as I'm too lazy to form the petals individually!

You can't really pipe fondant - you would roll it out thin and use little flower shaped cutters. But royal icing you pipe each petal as you go round - doesn't take long when you get the hang.

You can't pipe fondant at all. If you want easy buy ready made fondant (I personally make my own masrhmallow fondant as it is edible as apposed to the packaged stuff) and buy some cutters. It is much quicker and easier than piping. Learning to pipe good flowers etc out of royal icing takes a fair bit of practice.

Get these from Lakeland for very quick flower making.

Snowstorm, yes, seriously, I have been known to eat almost a whole pack over a matter of days [bleurgh emoticon] [gannet emoticon]

ComeOVeneer, marshmallow fondant?! Sounds fantastic! Any chance of a recipe?

Another option, if you're prepared to lose the 'setting rock-hard' bit, is tubes of ready-made icing (not sure what the official name of it is but it has a consistency similar to butter icing). You get various nozzle attachments with them and they would be easy to do a little flower with - they just wouldn't set hard. Then you could give your DDs a tube each and no mess at the end!

Thanks for the feedback. I was hoping to make those little rock hard flowers and then let them harden so that the DD's could then pick them up and decorate the fairy cakes with them ... like the ones in the multi-shaker packs that you get in the cake making section of Sainsburys. We do have some of those tubes and they are fun to use to decorate stuff but I was specifically after the small hard flat'ish flowers on this occasion.

ComeOVeneer ... DO NOT give Tinkjon that marshmallow fondant recipe ... it'll never see a cake !!!!!!!!!!!!

PS. ComeOveneer ... those little flower cutters do look good though, might invest in some of those for the future!

Marshmallow Fondant

1 lb mini marshmallows
2 Tbsp Water
2 lbs. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence, clear if available
1 tsp any other flavourings desired (optional)

Place marhsmallows and water in a microwave proof bowl and microwave on high for 60 seconds. Stir. If not completely melted repeat with 30 seconds microwave intervals until mixture is completely melted when stirred.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a free standing mixer add the sugar, the corn syrup, vanilla essence and flavouring. Add melted marshmallow mixture and stir on low using the mixer dough hook.

As mixture combines, incread speed slightly to knead. Add a little water if all the powdered sugar fails to combine. When mixture is completely mixed turn out onto the counter sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Spray hands with cooking spray(otherwise fonadant mixture will stick to your hands) and knead dough, adding sugar as needed, until mass is still pliable but not sticky. Pat into a loaf, cover with plastic wrap, and drop into a ziplock bag, squeezing out any excess air. Will store in the fridge for weeks. The dough will be slightly too sticky to work with if you try to roll it out that moment so allow it to cool in the fridge to "set" and harden slightly. Bring back to room temp to work with.

BTW this is only useful to cover cakes with no good for making flowers/decorations as it remains relatively soft. You need to use proper gum paste/ pastillage for those.

ComeOVeneer would that work if a bit more liquid for covering little cakes in the manner of Peggy Porschen if you have seen her books? Her recipe for fondant is otherwise hugely complicated!

You mean pouring fondant? Yes, put it in a mocrowavable bowl and heat slowly (don't allow it to boil). If it is too thick add boiling waater 1 tsp at a time to achieve the right consistency. Add colouring/flavouring if desired then dip cakes. Leave to set then if necessary do a second coat. Store them in an container not the fridge as this will make the fondant dissolve due to condensation.

THanks very much!

Yes I love her books. Hers cakes were some of the first I made when I started. I adore her bollywood poured fondant mini cakes.

I have done a lot of the baby biscuits for people. Terribly time consuming though, faffing about with umpteen bags of different coloured icing and different consistencies.

Oh I love doing the "flooding" biscuits. I just recieved a parcel this morning from here with loads of new cutters

Lovely! I had a phase a couple of years ago of buying loads from American websites but UK sites are catching up now. I don't them them much now, due to not being able to face making loads of greaseproof bags, and making tons of icing in diff colours. But I do use Peggy's biscuit recipe as it's the one I've found stays non-soggy when iced.

How do you stop the darker colours bleeding into the lighter ones when doing polka dots say? I've done it when the base colour was dry and still it does it after a day or so.

Haven't managed to sort that problem. I tend to do lighter dots on a darker background then it is less noticable if it bleeds.

Yes I agree the UK sites are catching up. I did order a load of embossing mats and textured rolling pins recently from the states as you can't seem to get them here. Also bought these when I was over there last month as you can't seem to get them either.

Well I feel reassured that I haven't missed a trick anyway! I expect the books all get their photos taken PDQ before any icing bleeding starts!

Actually I am going to a Christening soon. Suppose I'd better start up pink icing production and do some biscuits again.

PS in the light of ahem the "other threads" can I just say that I love cupcakes when well made and not a horrible chemical ridden rip off and would love to carry on talking icing techniques!