Baking Recipe

Mexican Paste

This is the Mexican paste that Marion Frost of Patchwork Cutters recommends to use with all her Patchwork Cutters. We do not recommend gum paste for use with Patchwork Cutters.

This paste dries hard and is ideal for free standing figures.

With this easy recipe, you can create stunning structural work for your cakes with no problems.

This Mexican Paste is super strong and perfect for modelling cake decorations. It’s firm, fast-drying and has great workability.

If you would like to check our full range of Natural Flavoured Icing Sugars and Cocoa Powders click here.

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Ingredients

3 Teaspoons Gum Tragacanth

200g of Sugar and Crumbs Natural Flavoured Icing Sugar of your choice

6 Teaspoons Cold Water

Instructions

1. Blend together the powdered sugar and gum tragacanth in a bowl.

2. Add water and mix with a heavy spoon until most of the sugar is absorbed.

3. Pour onto a clean work surface and knead, picking up the extra bits of moist sugar as you knead, until the dough is smooth and pliable.

4. Place in a sealed plastic bag and place that bag into another sealed bag.

5. Leave overnight on the counter to cure. DO NOT REFRIGERATE! The paste will be very hard the next day. Break off a small piece and knead until soft before using.

You can keep Mexican Paste for up to 10 days as long as you knead it every 2-3 days. If you want to keep it longer, it freezes very well. Do not refrigerate Mexican Paste.

How to use Mexican Paste

Lighly oil a clean surface and take the Mexican paste (which will have become very firm) and knead until soft again. Cut a piece off and reseal the remaining. Roll out the paste on the oiled surface until it is very thin.

At this point you can use any shape cutter you wish to create the required shapes. Lightly oil the cutters before use as this makes it easier to release the shape and also creates a smoother edge. Place the cut out shapes onto a clean board to harden in a dry room.

Once dry they can be coloured either by spraying, painting with food colour or dusting with petal dust mixed with a little cornflour.

Mexican past shapes can be kept for weeks in a cardboard box (an old chocolate box is ideal) in a dry room. Do not store the shapes in a sealed container as they will become soft.

Unused Mexican Paste will keep in the freezer for up to 12 months provided it is double sealed and airtight.

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