Isomalt Recipe
Ingredients
3 poundsIsomalt crystals(1361 grams)
Distilled Water(Add enough to achieve a wet sand consistency)
Instructions

Combine 3 pounds of isomalt crystals with enough distilled water to make the mixture like “wet sand”.
Boil the mixture in a pot on medium-high heat until it reaches 333 degrees Fahrenheit (167 Celsius).
Once the temperature is reached, place in a cold water bath immediately to stop the cooking process.
Once cooled a bit (but still pourable) pour into silicone ice cube trays for storage and future use.
Once set and cool to the touch in the ice cube trays, store in plastic bags or containers with silica gel packet to keep moisture away.

Set oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit (135 Celsius) and place isomalt in a glass or silicone dish, on top of a oven safe tray, to keep at a good pouring temperature
The amount of water you add in step 1 is not critical as the excess water will cook off. You just want to start with a wet sand consistency.
While heating the mixture in step 2 above you may want to periodically brush the inside walls of your pot with a little water using a basting brush. This will help prevent burning and discoloration at the edges.
No need to stir while heating the mixture in step 2. Just let it heat up.

Link to the exact size topper (and flowers) Shawna used in this project it HERE.

When you want to change the size of the inspiration photo on one of my shared documents
OR when an inspiration photo has to be printed larger than an 8.5x11, it gets a little tricky when doing it from your home computer, so follow these directions:

First, click on the Google Doc link that I've provided. (Or insert your own photo into a new Google document). You'll need to have a google account to complete the next steps, so if you want to print from these google docs I add, it's a good idea to setup a google account.
Ok, after you click on the link and the photo has opened in the document, click "file" in the upper left hand corner.
A menu drops down... then click on "make a copy". A box pops up where you can give the file a name and designate which folder in your google drive you'd like to save it to. It should then automatically open up that copied document for you.
You should be able to edit that document, changing its size and such (you can only view the original that I posted.) To print out a very large photo, on that new document you'll have print it out in sections and then move the photo around (without changing it's size) and print out remaining sections. For example, in the eagle cake tutorial, I would print out the wing section you see first, and then start moving it to get to the other areas. In order to move it, you first need to click on the picture. A blue box should appear around it.
Then, click the "crop image" icon up in the tool bar. It will show you the full picture, and you can then drag it to a new section to print out.
Once you've dragged the photo and decided the next section to print, click the "crop image" icon again
and then you can click on the printer icon in the tool bar to print out that section.
You should be able to continue to hit the crop button and move the picture around to each new section to print out until you've printed the entire photo...and then piece it together and attach with tape!

Isomalt Crystals Cooking Instructions:
It's best to cook 3 pounds of isomalt crystals at a time (to help insure they don't discolor)

Put the crystal into a pot on the stove and add just enough DISTILLED water to create a wet-sand look
Turn on burner to med-high heat
Either cover pot or have a small bowl of distilled water and a silicone pastry brush ready to wipe down sides of pot if needed
Set digital thermometer to 330 degrees F
Prepare a cold water bath in either a larger pot that the isomalt pot can rest in or in a sink
When the isomalt reaches 330 degrees, take the pot and place it in the cold water bath just long enough for the hissing of the pot to stop (@10-20 seconds)
Your isomalt can be used right away for pouring applications (good idea to let it sit for just a bit until some of the air bubbles are gone) or you can put it into the oven at 275 degrees in a pyrex measuring cup to keep it warm and at a pourable temperature if you're not ready to use right away
Pour left over isomalt into silicone ice cube/other trays to make small blocks of isomalt to store and use later
Put isomalt blocks you are storing into a small ziplock bag and then a larger ziplock bag with a food safe silica pouch for storage

Isomalt tips:
You can use add airbrush colors to color your melted isomalt to color it

Use a fan to cool your isomalt when you want it to dry/set quickly
Use a chef's torch to help rid surface of airbubbles and bring back glossiness
Use an edible spray shellac (PME and Chef Rubber have good ones) on all surfaces of the finished isomalt creation to keep it from getting cloudy, before handling too much
Do not put isomalt creations in the fridge (

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LINKS & SUPPLIES

Link to the exact size topper (and flowers) Shawna used in this project: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T0XbAyf7WTkgSi6qnw4ZjwjKiPcGOEn1YJaFKfj0YK8/edit?usp=sharing

SUPPLIES
- CakePlay Isomalt Nibs, Clear, 7 Ounce: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009DKCGN2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mcgcak-20&linkId=300964685d4ffa54aaa94b1a7a677680&language=en_US
- Pure Isomalt Crystals, Non-GMO, Vegan, Kosher Certified, 1 kg: https://www.amazon.com/Isomalt-Non-GMO-Vegan-Kosher-Certified/dp/B00CYHDSF6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=isomalt+crystals&qid=1553020406&s=gateway&sr=8-4&linkCode=ll1&tag=mcgcak-20&linkId=edffdba0226e36295c6eb9d8f392eb54&language=en_US
- ThermoPro TP-16 Digital Cooking Thermometer with Stainless Steel Temperature Probe: https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-TP-16-Thermometer-Stainless-Standard/dp/B017613C3C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=taylor+thermometer+digital&qid=1570389305&linkCode=ll1&tag=mcgcak-20&linkId=6b59a0756849d8f317ec083d51ef0a1d&language=en_US
- PME Edible Glaze Spray, 3oz: https://www.amazon.com/PME-SUGARCRAFT-Edible-Glaze-Spray/dp/B00482H2FW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1485632750&sr=8-1&keywords=lacquer+spray+confectioners&linkCode=ll1&tag=mcgcak-20&linkId=8a8cb0b3c84d3fed4f94fa7d293c5472&language=en_US
- Edible Artists Oil Paints, 35gm x 8 Tube: https://portaleopaints.com/products
- Edible Art Paints, General: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?k=edible+art+paint&ref=nb_sb_noss_2&linkCode=ll2&tag=mcgcak-20&linkId=112195c7f9f0a794c5d90158840022b9&language=en_US