Advice needed! Food colours suitable for coloring fondant
Hi friends... In my part of the world, it's very difficult to get food colours (gel or paste), only liquid colors are available which renders my job to colour fondant real difficult (I make marshmallow fondant at home).
So, I asked a friend to bring some colours from the States and he got me gel colours by Betty Crockers. I haven't used them yet (just got them now), but I've tried to dig any information on how to use them from the net or on the actual packs, but no help at all.
My questions are:
1. Do these gel colours colour fondant, or are they just used as piped off the tube?
2. If they don't colour fondant, can I use them to "paint" on fondant? Are they manageable or do they dry fast? Or would they melt the fondant on the cake?!!
3. What other surfaces can they be used on (if not fondant)?
He got me two types of them; big tubes with the word "Icing" and smaller tubes with the word "Gel" on them... I'm praying that the gel ones can be used to colour fondant :(
Appreciate your helpful advices & tips.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by June Kowalczyk on
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Sorry to say Ma
Both are used for "quickie" decorating on a bc/fondant covered cake. The tube of icing, is just that, icing. You use it to pipe/write on your cake. It is for those who don't know how to make parchment piping bags or don't own a piping bag & tips. The gel, alas, it is the same thing. Just used to pipe on the cake. It is just basically coloured piping gel. I assume they were purchased at a grocery store. There wouldn't have been any "professional" pastes or gels there. Your best bet is to buy on the Internet. I know that perhaps the cost of shipping may be expensive, but good qualitiy colours will last a long, long time. You need so little to achieve a good colour. The colours I do go through a lot are green, black & red..... basic colours. :o)
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Hey Mai
Found this. I believe a online decorator supply in Egypt. Hope this helps
cake decorating shop - Cairo, Egypt - Local Business | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/cake-decorating-shop/122478924437692
cake decorating shop, Cairo, Egypt.Everything for the Art, Craft & business of cake decorating
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Permalink Reply by Mai Fathalla on
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Wow June! Why was I sure that you're the first one who'll be rushing for my help and with a "complete" package of information? :)... I really can't thank you enough for being as helpful as always <3
I suspected what you just said... So, I can't draw on fondant using these gels (or icing)? Would they melt the fondant?
Will check the facebook link from home as facebook's blocked here at work :$
One last question, our headoffice is in Houston (where my friend goes)... So, where would he find these colours? What kind of stores?
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Firstly Mai
No problem.... Love to help where I can. Yes you can use both those Betty Crocker products on your fondant. Try a test patch on a piece of wax paper, or a upturned mixing bowl. I googled and got this:
Amazing Cake Supplies
Category: Food [Edit]
5611 Bellaire Blvd
Ste 118
Houston, TX 77081
Neighbourhood: Gulfton
Michaels
locations.michaels.com
3904 Bissonnet St, Houston
+1 713-662-0913
Have no idea where this would be located in relationship to your head office. Your friend would have to have a rental car & perhaps GPS to locate these. I know you can get food colouring at Michael's, and assume at the other location mentioned.
:o)
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Thanks June... Perfect information. And yeah, they all rent cars with GPS when in the States.
Painting is a good idea for me to try on cakes... I do make oil-painting, so I guess it'll be enjoyable to have some artistic designs painted! Will try that & post (if & when I have time to do it).
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Permalink Reply by Katy Nott on
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Hi Mai - June has obviously been on the ball again and I see has answered your questions admirably. I have only a couple of things to add - Betty Crocker do make gel food cololurs. I take it this is not what you have? I found this page and if you read the last review, they have used it to colour fondant -
http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/dessert-decorating-products/pr...
I think this is what you may have and yes, they are for decorating, but agreed, you can use on fondant. Buttercream too I would think -
http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/dessert-decorating-products/pr...
Do you access to Ebay? There are some sellers in the UK that will dispatch to Egypt at reasonable prices - here's a link to one of them (£3 to Egypt) -
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANY-6-SUGARFLAIR-PASTE-FOOD-COLOURING-ICI...
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Hey Katy... Thank you so much for the effort of browsing those links for me... Truly appreciated.
Yeah... The ones I have are the decorating ones (2nd link) and I'm already fancying many designs & ideas to use them in painting, but will have to substitute the vodka part cautiously with water although I know it does evaporate, I still don't feel comfortable (religiously), besides I won't even find it around! :-D
I thank you & June again; you're so kind & helpful... Love you sincerely
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I have found Mai that you can use pure lemon juice mixed with your colours and it works very well, doesn't evaporite like the alcohol. Works much better with my lustre dust. Therefore no conflict with alcohol. :o)
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Oh great! I saw somewhere the word "lemon extract" but there was a note next to it stating that it's different from lemon juice... But if you've used it, I'll definitely go for it (better than the water idea)... flavour could be a value added as well :)
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Well Mai
One of my friends here, Gail, said she has used both & prefers "pure" lemon extract. I can get lemon extract, most grocery stores here carry it.... But hard to find "pure". I always have fresh lemons on hand, so I have squeezed my own juice, poured through a sieve/strainer to get out lemon bits. Works very well. :o)
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Dear June... I've tried the lemon juice (sieved) and it worked just fine... Actually I didn't need to use much of it since the gel doesn't need much thinning.
Here's the cake I made (will try the uploading option below):
Thank you so much June & Katy for your kind help.
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So glad we could help and the lemon juice worked. I don't see a cake pic here tho Mai. :o)
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