Sweets for the Sweet

Due to travel conflicts for Barb and Cindy, our March and April meetings are being shifted to the second week of the month. The new dates will be March 9 and April 13.

March Program: La Petite Patisserie

On March 9, Ellen is going to treat us (get it?) to her miniature pastry skills. These are great for jewelry, doll houses, and more.

Supplies list for La Petite Patisserie (The Little Bakery)

You need your basic clay tools, of course.

The cupcakes:

I’m afraid that you’ll need to buy some Reese’s miniature peanut butter cups. I tried to sculpt a cupcake to use as a mold, but when I wasn’t pleased with the result, my daughter suggested the candy. Bless her!
If you want a big cupcake, may I recommend Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups? You’ll thank me or curse me…

Two part mold maker.
Release agent of your choice. (water/cornstarch/etc)
You’ll need something to swirl the frosting. I use a double ended knitting needle, but you could use a silicone sculpting tool or a small ball tool or anything along those lines.
A Large ball tool. Mine’s about 1/4”. About.
Small cutters for tarts. I favor hearts and stars. The turnovers can be square cutters or just cut squares.
The knitting needle crimps edges nicely.

The tarts and cookies:

A brown chalk/pastel to give them a delicious maillard effect along the edges
Brush for applying maillard
Something like a stiff stencil brush is good for texturing
Thumbprint cookies use that small ball tool

Clay:

Ecru for pastry and cookies
Any color for frosting
red for cherry/berry filling or any filling of your choice.
The cupcakes can be any color you want. I use white, off white, and brown; I’m a sucker for a chocolate cupcake. I lean to pastel buttercream, myself.
Brown for chocolate chunks. (chips are beyond me, but you do you)
If you want to really go around the bend and make almond slices, you’ll need a little transparent.
Liquid clay/bake’n’bond/Kato poly paste. The cupcakes are baked before frosting, so you need something to bond the frosting to the baked clay.

I think that covers the board. I’ll happily answer any questions. If you email me, write POLYMER CLAY in the subject line; I get so dratted much junk I might miss it otherwise.

April Program: Glamoured Glass

On April 13, Nancy will be showing us her trips and tricks for covering a glass bowl with cane slices. Supplies list to follow but you will need a glass bowl and canes, for sure.