You know when you see those fab champagne bottle cakes and then you cringe because they've put one of those horrible plastic champagne glasses next to it... well, with this post, I hope to rid the world of plastic glasses. We recently took a class that showed us how to make a (relatively easy) flute... hopefully it helps everyone out there...
YOU'RE GONNA NEED...
bag of Isomalt (see below)
1 long turnip
1 sharp knife
1 plastic rolling mat
Isomalt is a sugar substitute, a type of sugar alcohol, used primarily for its sugar-like physical properties.
It'll come in a bag like this and its pretty easy to order online. Chuck it in a saucepan by itself and it'll melt down into a clear gloopy substance.
STEP 1
Take your turnip at cut the end off flat. This end piece is going to end up being the rounded base of your glass...
STEP 2
With the flat end face down, cut the four sides of your turnip straight so that you have a square shape with curved edges (Image 1). Once you have done this, do the same on the rounded 'corners' so that you are creating a more rounded shape at the end of your turnip. Repeat this step until you get a nice round end (Image 2).
Once you are happy that the bottom is round, turn the turnip on its side and, using the knife, scrape along the edges to give a smooth appearance (image 3).
STEP 3
Your turnip should now have a smooth rounded shape around the side, but a blunt end (image 1). To create a nice dome shape for the bottom of your glass, use the knife to trim and round off the edges (Image 2)
NOTE: You need to be careful here. Ensure that the rounded end is not wider than the top of your carved piece. If it is, when you dip it into the melted sugar and it dries, you will not be able to pull the hardened sugar off the turnip mold.
Dry the turnip with kitchen roll (Image 3)
STEP 4
Your turnip is ready to dip!! Take the Isomalt off the heat and dip the turnip in so that it is submerged up to the height of which you have carved it (Image 1)
Once it is fully coated, remove the turnip and keep it held over pan until the excess and ran off. The Isomalt will start to dry quickly, so its important to rotate the turnip in a circular and up and down motion to ensure the excess doesn't gloop to one side (Image 2)
Once the excess has run off, hold your turnip whilst it dries (this will take up to 4-5 minutes). When dry enough to remove the glass shape, the Ismolat will feel a little sticky (if it gets reallt sticky you've left it on too long). At the point, slowly slide the glass shape from the mold and sit it face down to dry completely (Image 3)
STEP 5
Read More
bag of Isomalt (see below)
1 long turnip
1 sharp knife
1 plastic rolling mat
It'll come in a bag like this and its pretty easy to order online. Chuck it in a saucepan by itself and it'll melt down into a clear gloopy substance.
STEP 1
Take your turnip at cut the end off flat. This end piece is going to end up being the rounded base of your glass...
Once you are happy that the bottom is round, turn the turnip on its side and, using the knife, scrape along the edges to give a smooth appearance (image 3).
STEP 3
NOTE: You need to be careful here. Ensure that the rounded end is not wider than the top of your carved piece. If it is, when you dip it into the melted sugar and it dries, you will not be able to pull the hardened sugar off the turnip mold.
Dry the turnip with kitchen roll (Image 3)
STEP 4
Once it is fully coated, remove the turnip and keep it held over pan until the excess and ran off. The Isomalt will start to dry quickly, so its important to rotate the turnip in a circular and up and down motion to ensure the excess doesn't gloop to one side (Image 2)
Once the excess has run off, hold your turnip whilst it dries (this will take up to 4-5 minutes). When dry enough to remove the glass shape, the Ismolat will feel a little sticky (if it gets reallt sticky you've left it on too long). At the point, slowly slide the glass shape from the mold and sit it face down to dry completely (Image 3)
STEP 5
Time to make the bases for the glass. Simply dip a wooden spoon into the Isomalt and then dribble circles onto the plastic rolling mat. NOTE: It needs to be a plastic rolling mat so that you can peel the hardened shapes away from it.
Try and aim to make the circles the same size as the width of your glass cup. Leave to dry.
STEP 6
Making the stem of the glass...this step is a bit tricky, as it all has to be done quite quickly before the Isomalt drys (and is pretty much useless).
- Spoon a generous amount of the liquid sugar onto the plastic rolling mat (Image 1)
- Using the mat, begin to roll the sugar into a tube shape (Image 2)
- Roll the sugar until it is to the thickness that you want the stem of your glass to be (Images 3&4)
- Using scissors, cut the stems to the length that you want them to be. You now have all of the pieces of your glass, ready to assemble (Image 5)
To assemble the glass, dip one end of the stems into the liquid sugar by amount 1/2 cm. This is going to act as the glue to hold the pieces together (Image 1)
Place the stem in the middle of the up-turned glass and hold in place until it has dried enough to stand on its own...a few minutes should do the trick! (Image 2)
STEP 8
Once the stem has dried to the base, dip the other end of the stem into the liquid sugar one last time in order to create a glue for the cup. Center the stem in the middle of the base of the cup and hold in place whilst it sets Image 1).
NOTE: Don't be tempted to do it the other way round (as in Image 2), as it may result in the base drying at an angle.
Once the cup is secured, turn upside down (as in Image 2) and leave until dry.
DONE!!!! You should have a fair amount of Isomalt left.... this can be re-melted up to about 4-5 times before you'll need to chuck it.
