Here are some miscellaneous notes and (and a few AirPen tips) for cookiers working with SugarVeil Icing:
Piping – When mixing SugarVeil for piping, stenciling, or combing, beat on high speed with the whisk attachment, as opposed to the medium speed/beater blade for use in the Confectioners' Mats. [Note: Wherever strength is needed, such as combed lines, or use in the Confectioners' Mats, use the beater blade]. SugarVeil Icing designs may be piped directly onto the cookie's surface, or onto a flooded royal icing surface, and will set/dry. You can also trace SugarVeil designs onto a greased parchment or cellophane surface. When set, SugarVeil Icing is uniquely flexible, and may be peeled from the surface to be placed onto the cookie. If the cookie is warm, the icing will meld onto the surface (or you can reheat the cookie for a few seconds in the microwave). Alternately, a scant bit of moisture on a fingertip to the back of the SugarVeil decoration will attach it to the cookie’s surface as well.
The AirPen Piping Dispenser - Use the AirPen® to precisely outline large flooded cookies (flood with a piping bag), and to both outline and flood smaller areas. Fill the Airpen cartridges with royal icing, SugarVeil, chocolate, or any other type of icing. Tuck cartridges filled with chocolate or very stiff buttercream icing in a folded heating pad to soften the contents a bit when piping intricate details.
Dimensional Icing lines – For lines with even more dimension, place the SugarVeil-filled parchment cone or the AirPen Piping Dispenser cartridge in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. These lines will set dimensionally, as well. If you are used to royal icing, and seek heavier-bodied lines, see “Structural SugarVeil”, below.
SugarVeil “Paint” - To the already-mixed SugarVeil, add a bit of water and food color to dilute to a painting consistency. Glaze an entire cookie’s surface and sides by painting with a diluted SugarVeil mixture. Any type of color may be used for a light/medium shade, but when making dark/intense colors, use dry powdered color.
Structural SugarVeil - To make SugarVeil into ‘mortar’ for gingerbread houses, or ‘glue’ for attaching cookie parts, mix two parts (by volume) powdered sugar with the SugarVeil mixture. For example, add 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar to ¼ cup mixed SugarVeil. This heavier bodied SugarVeil is quicker drying, strong, barely flexible (thus not suitable for use in the Confectioners’ Mats, or where flexibility is desired).
An Improved Royal Icing - Add more strength, suppleness, and an improved, smoother consistency to any recipe of royal icing by adding SugarVeil. Mix 1 Tbl. SugarVeil mixture (or more) into 1/3 cup royal icing.
Painting Cookie Boards/Foil Rounds/Styrofoam Bases - Dilute SugarVeil mixture to a flowable consistency and paint onto surfaces with a fine-bristled pastry brush. For photos, see
http://sugarveil.com/wp-conten...015/07/CAKEBOARD.pdf
SugarVeil Confectioners’ Mats – SugarVeil Icing cast in the Confectioners’ Mats can be cut and used to cover cookies. Instructions for using the Mats are here: http://www.sugarveil.com/mat/S...nfectioners-Mats.pdf, and additional tips/FAQ's are located on the drop-down list under the heading "Create", here: www.sugarveil.com.
Besides being placed onto a naked or iced cookie, SugarVeil decorations made with the Confectioners’ Mats can even be embedded onto a royal icing-flooded cookie, or combined with fondant, chocolate, or other piped SugarVeil decorations to complete the cookie design.
For making delicate SugarVeil lace on cookies which need to be packed/shipped, besides embedding the intricate lace into the flooded cookie, another approach is to create SugarVeil 'fabric' by spreading a second, thin solid layer of SugarVeil over the lace lines when they're partially-set in the mat [use an alternate color, if desired]. This fabric may then be cut and placed onto the cookie's moist base coat.
Use the SugarVeil Mats to emboss cookie dough, too. Omit the baker powder/soda from your cookie recipe, and roll cookie dough tightly over the Confectioners’ Mat. Flip the mat face down onto parchment, and peel back the mat from the cookie dough. Cut shapes with cookie cutters or the SugarVeil Fin tool (the Fin can also be used to neaten-up a cookie’s edges prior to baking).
Humidity
Most likely you are working small, and with delicate pieces of SugarVeil decorations, so it’s good to know the humidity of your working area. Use a hygrometer (available in home stores or thru SugarVeil on Amazon.com): a 30% and below reading is “Dry”. A reading above 50% humidity is ‘Wet” (meaning humid).
If your workplace is humid, use ovens/fans to dry out the air. Dust fingertips with cornstarch. Keep set SugarVeil decorations in plastic bags or airtight containers so they will not re-absorb the ambient humidity in the air. See also: http://sugarveil.com/humid-conditions/.
If your workplace is dry, place rolled, wet towels around the borders/beneath your work area. Special note: In very dry kitchens, remove 1 Tbl. (15ml) water from the normal mixing recipe of 1/3c. (80ml) water to 2/3c. (95gm) SugarVeil powder. See also http://sugarveil.com/dry-conditions/.
Dried SugarVeil decorations may be steamed to return to their original flexibility: http://sugarveil.com/wp-conten...oads/2015/07/Dry.pdf.
When creating quantities of SugarVeil decorations for use in production, place peeled decorations between parchment sheets and stack in a shallow, airtight container [Ziploc brand makes a plastic "Weathertight" box (size small), just the right size]. To keep multiple sheets of decorations flexible in dry kitchens (while ovens are operating), drape a moist towel or a dish drying mat atop the open container.
More tips are on the drop-down list under the header "Create" at www.sugarveil.com
Note that in terms of decorating, the humidity inside of your work place is even more pertinent than climate aspects. Keep in mind these lesser-realized influences of humidity upon your work area:
The following increases wetness/humidity -
Dishwasher/washer/dryer running
Pots of soup boiling on a stove
Water running to wash dishes
Wet towels/clothes hanging in proximity
Air-conditioning
Humid climate
Decreased temperature
Proximity to ocean, lakes, or bodies of water
These items increase dryness -
Ovens operating
Fans blowing
Sunlight
Raised temperature
Furnace heat
Fireplace/wood stove
Winter
Altitude
Dry Climate
Heat lamps
Any cookie tips to add here? We'd like to hear them, and increase this knowledge base for sharing with others. Please write to us at info@sugarveil.com
©SugarVeil Products Corporation, 2015
SugarVeil is a registered trademark of SugarVeil Products Corporation
