Sugar Like Glass

A translucent blue sugar sculpture featuring a painted tree with intricate, colorful swirling patterns in the background, mounted on a matching blue sugar base.
Kim Simons
Advanced
Learn how to make sugar look like glass using isomalt. Create a stunning Blue Wonder sugar piece with a custom edible paper design.

Supply List

For the Blue Wonder piece

Edible paper
Clear isomalt
Blue isomalt
21" Simi Flex Form

You will also need

Chef's blow torch
Microwave
2 small silicone cups to melt isomalt
Small cup of water
Paint palette for edible paints
Mat to pour isomalt on
Silicone mold (for base)
Paper towels
Toothpicks
Gloves (for isomalt)
Edible colors
Steel colors
Various sizes of paint brushes
Clear edible glaze

Instructions

  • Sketch your design on edible paper.
    Hands holding a paper with an ink line drawing of a stylized tree with swirling branches.
  • Paint your design with edible colors.
    Hand holding paintbrushes over a paper with an intricate black ink line drawing of a butterfly.

  • Heat the blue isomalt in the microwave.

    • Heat for 30 seconds.
    • In 15-second intervals, heat until it bubbles. Caution: isomalt is HOT. Gloves are recommended.
  • Surround your edible paper design with a Flex Form.
  • Remove design and pour blue isomalt into Flex Form. Let cool.
    Dark blue isomalt being poured onto a surface in a puddle.
  • Clear bubbles on isomalt with a blow torch.
    Close-up of blue isomalt being heated with a blowtorch to remove air bubbles.
  • Place design on blue isomalt.
    Hands placing a colorful painted edible design onto blue isomalt.
  • Heat up clear isomalt and pour evenly over the design. Let cool.
    Clear isomalt being poured over the painted design on blue isomalt.
  • Use torch to clean up any bubbles.
    Close-up of a torch being used to clear bubbles from the isomalt surface.
  • Heat up isomalt and pour into base mold. Let cool.
    Blue isomalt being poured into a silicone mold for the base.
  • Remove Flex Form from design. Remove base from the mold.
  • Shine both pieces with torch, and attach base with heated isomalt.

Notes

• Isomalt must be heated to very high temperatures — exercise caution and wear gloves.
• Isomalt is edible but not recommended for digestion in large quantities.
• Humidity is the enemy of isomalt pieces; they have a limited lifespan.
• Heat isomalt for 30 seconds, then in 15-second intervals, until it bubbles.
• Silicone cups can be subsituted with oven-safe glass.
• Gold Teflon works best as a mat for pouring isomalt, but aluminum foil coated with oil spray can also be used.

Products Used

• Simi Cakes: Flex Form, Isomalt
• Icing Images: SmArt Sheets (edible paper)
• Artisan Accents: Edible colors (Breakfast Blue, Pink Alicious, Azure Blue, Leaf Green)
• The Sweet Chalet: Steel colors (Silver, Black, Brass, Cinnamon, Red Wine)