pastillage
All About Pastillage: Modeling Decorative Sugar Based Modeling Paste for Pastry Sculpture
By Renee Shelton
Pastillage is a sugar based dough used for creating decorations for pastry displays, showpiece work for buffets, and decorative molded forms for gifts or for bases for other works such as chocolate sculpture. The dough is much like soft clay or playdough where you can knead it and roll it out. Once pastillage is made and formed, the pieces are dried out to set up as a very hard sugar-based decoration. The pieces can then be sanded with fine sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges afterwards. Pastillage pieces are usually glued together with royal icing.
When pastillage is made correctly, it produces a very fine, white, smooth surface for sugar paintings
In the 1985 copy Professional Baking, it compares pastillage with other sugar pastes:
Unlike marzipan and other modeling pastes, it is rarely if ever intended to be eaten. Although it is made entirely of edible items, pastillage is as hard and brittle as plaster of Paris when it dries, and nearly as tasteless...Pastillage is sometimes called "gum paste," although that term is more correctly used when a vegetable gum (usually gum tragacanth) is used instead of gelatin.
Pastillage Recipes
Most recipes for pastillage call for common ingredients: powdered sugar, gelatin, and water, with some recipes calling for an acid like vinegar or cream of tartar. I'm listing two recipes below. The first one I have used professionally, and it is a large batch recipe. It produces a fine pastillage that can be kneaded and rolled out paper thin on a sheeter for thin decorative pieces and is great for pressed items. The second is a good recipe that I use at home. It's simple to make, and makes a nice white pastillage.
When coloring either one, color the liquid first before adding to the mix to ensure there are no streaks (but you can still knead in colors, if desired). When the pieces are cut and laid out for drying, turn the pieces over periodically after they have set up a bit to make sure the pieces are drying evenly
Pastillage (Large Batch)
- 10 oz. hot water
- 3 oz. plain vinegar
- 16 sheets gelatin (gold)
- 4 lbs. 8 oz. powdered sugar
- 3 lbs. 12 oz. powdered sugar
- Place water, vinegar and gelatin sheets in a bain marie until about 90°C.
- Pour into a large stand up mixer with a paddle and add the first powdered sugar. Mix smooth, then add the last powdered sugar. Mix until combined.
- You can color the liquid for large batch colors or knead in desired color to dough.
- Roll out with cornstarch using a sheeter.
Pastillage (home batch)
- 1 package of plain gelatin
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup cornstarch
- Sift the powdered sugar and cornstarch together.
- Place water and cream of tartar in a small saucepan, then sprinkle the plain gelatin over the top. Stir over low heat until dissolved. There may be an amount of cream of tartar that doesn't dissolve, just be sure no amount of gelatin is left undissolved.
- Remove from heat and add to the bowl of stand up mixer. Put on a paddle attachment and with low speed, add in the dry ingredients spoonful by spoonful (couple of tablespoons each addition) at a time.
- When all is incorporated, switch to medium speed until mixture is lightened and very white, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from bowl, wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for half an hour before rolling out. Can be frozen; place in refrigerator overnight to thaw. Roll out with cornstarch.
Recipes from the files of Renee Shelton.
This article was first published on pastrysampler.com on February 15, 2012. It was updated on October 9, 2020.
Sources:
Gisslen, Wayne. Professional Baking. New York: John Wiley, 1985.
Images of pastillage "Réal N Gallego O Ortega Mexique (pastillage) Europain 2008 Cl J Weber01" by inra.dist is licensed with CC BY 2.0..
