Paul Richards' book of breads, cakes, pastries, ices and sweetmeats

a delicate green may be formed in cup shapes to them, and fastened together with icing; or larger serve ices and creams. scrolls in the shape of S and C scrolls, supported If it is desired to give the flowers a crystalline with rings, may be placed upright together around appearance, a little strong syrup is diluted with a center support, which is fastened into the stand, proof spirits, and the flowers are brushed with it. in the form of a pyramid. The top may be The spirit evaporates and small crystals are finished with a few candy flowers and leaves, or formed, which gives the flower the appearance other artificial flowers, in form of a small bouquet, of being covered with dew. A little ingenuity and practice will make it Flowers may also be made of the gum paste possible to execute a large variety of these orna* No. 88 and of the almond oaste No. 90, colored ments. and molded by hand into leaves, and put together 1146.— MERINGUE DECORATIONS, like flowers made of candy. From the paste No. 94 beehives, baskets and 1 144.— FLOWERS OF ROYAL ICING. many scroll ornaments may be made. The rings The flowers of royal icing are made with the or scrolls may be drawn on greased and flour- comet and special small brass tubes. The icing (justed pans and the paste put on with the bag is put in the comet with the special leaf tubes, and a plain tube of a large size. The paste is used for the different flowers. A long pin with baked in a slack oven of about 200° Fahr. to a large flat head, which is made for this purpose, is f^,^ color, and when dry, put together with royal taken in the left hand, the cornet in the right icjng. The finishing is done with the comet and hand; the center of the rose is formed with a star joy^i j^ing ;„ different colors, tube on the pin's head; the leaves are formed The French Macaroon Paste No. 364 may be with the leaf tube. used in the same manner. It should be rather The trick of making the roses lies in the twist- firm for this purpose, and rings, or S and C scrolls, ing of the nail or pin. The pin is stuck into a should be baked to a nice color. For this work soft board and the flowers are left to dry; when tjje bag and a large star tube are mostly used, dry, they are taken from the nail. The different The baked pieces are put together, fastened tubes and the nails may be bought at any of the around a center support with caramel sugar, and confectioners' supply stores. further decorated with royal icing. Candied 114- —NET AND SCROLL WORK WITH cherries and angelica leaves dipped in caramel jjOYAL ICING. are also used for decorating, and the baked scrolls Very nice table decorations may be made from while hot are brushed with diluted gum arabic to 138 PAUL RICHARDS' BOOK OF BREADS, CAKES, PASTRIES, ICBS AND SWEETMEATS. give a glossy appearance. These pieces are not very difiacult to make; and some supply firms sell scroll and ring molds in which the paste may be baked or dried in a very short time, and can be made with accuracy and little skill. From the gum paste No. 88 a variety of orna- ments can be.made. Molds of plaster of paris are used, and the paste is pressed in the molds; it dries<in^a short time and keeps the shape well when ts£ea from the molds. The modeli^g^js also . done by hand, but such work requires^astistic taste, and much experience and practice. ,; , Flowers and ^pires; a^e painted with colors diluted in syrup, to yrBlch some gum arable has been added. Many of the cake omamenteare made from this paste, which generally consists jsf half starch and half sugar, and these are m&de<in factories, where this work is carried on in a'p^actical man- ner. For icing and ornamenting of cakes see No. 413. 1147.— PLASTER OF PARIS MOLDS.