The problem - I have 2 days to make a croquembouche.

Having made mountains of them previously this isn't a problem, BUT.

I am trying to stretch this one as far as I can take it with pulled sugar flowers/bows the whole nine yards.

Now although I cn make sugar paste flowers in my sleep - I do not have the first idea on how to make them with cooked pulled sugar...

I have trawled the web searching for info on this and have drawn a blank - can anyone here post me a rough guide in how it's done??

I have found details on loadsa books that can help - but I need this finished in like 40 or so hours from now.

Any help at all is muchly appreciated.

Tho I have just found this forum - so may well attempt to add to the general noise made in this corner here :)

By jeee2 on Thursday, March 23, 2000 - 04:24 pm: Edit

Assuming you know how the sugar is cooked and pulled ? if not someone will fill that part in.
Once the sugar is ready I keep it on a greased tray inside the oven door at 200 degs, its easier for me than setting up a heat lamp.
Pull petals off with your thumb, I use 3 small and 5 medium to larger petals, just pull and drop them off your thumb. You can build the roses when you have enuf petals ready. Form some buds by pulling it off the main blob and rolling into a bud shape. When ready I just work on the stove top and hold petals near the flame to soften, slightly melt the bottom of the petal to make it stick to the bud. Its easier done than said.
Cheers, Gerard

By Panini (Panini) on Thursday, March 23, 2000 - 05:43 pm: Edit

Use the same process as gum paste,except leave all the petals seperate, glue them together, cool air helps the hardening process while glueing. hair dryer or small fan. When hurring, its best to use Tyler shape, rolled at the top and pinched.
If you don't know how to boil there is preboiled and colored sugar. Helene, Doucefrance can direct you to a purveyor.
Sorry if I repeated Gerard,I did not fully read his post.

By Panini (Panini) on Thursday, March 23, 2000 - 05:51 pm: Edit

The ribbons, are different color sugars put together and stretched. try 2 colors. I like to pull them alittle bit.I like the opaque look. form them into a square hamburger, cut logs 1"x1" reform the hamburger alternating the colors. now pull this and streach this out long on a greased marble table, cut and form around molds. These to should be glued if you are not fast enough to bunch together while hot.

By Markus on Thursday, March 23, 2000 - 09:10 pm: Edit

thanks muchly - I shall report back ina day or so and might throw a pic onto ye website if I like the result enough...

I am intrigued by the thought of preboiled sugar tho...

All the sugar work I've done was using water caster sugar and lemon juice boiled to caramel stage...

Am I missing out on 'tempering' sugar or something here? :)

I had sort of cobbled together a get around by piping petals of sugar onto baking parchment heating them and then pulling and moulding appropriate petals - but I'll have anothwer play tomorrow...

By tj on Thursday, March 23, 2000 - 09:32 pm: Edit

you are asking for the imposible...
creating pulled sugar flowers and ribons cannot be teached with words or by books.it must be handled and worked with a teacher beside you .there are too many variables in texture and temperature that directly effect the finished product.the stability of the sugar so it will not collaps, the shinness of the sugar flowers and ribbons, and their shape
etc,etc,etc.

By Doucefrance (Doucefrance) on Friday, March 24, 2000 - 07:29 am: Edit

I totally agree with tj, you can't "explain" pulled or blown sugar. I wouldn't even try. My advice would be to stick to the gumpaste flowers you can make and do your best to make them look as real as possible.
Good luck
Helene

By Doucefrance (Doucefrance) on Friday, March 24, 2000 - 07:29 am: Edit

I totally agree with tj, you can't "explain" pulled or blown sugar. I wouldn't even try. My advice would be to stick to the gumpaste flowers you can make and do your best to make them look as real as possible.
Good luck
Helene

By W.DeBord on Friday, March 24, 2000 - 08:25 am: Edit

I'd make the chocolate version of croquembouche. Then I'd decorate it with chocolate plastic bows, they hold up in the cooler....tint white choc plastic any color, make poka dot bows out of tempered choc. to garnish etc.....

By Markus on Friday, March 24, 2000 - 11:14 am: Edit

choc croque - of which I have made several is not an option. Sadly :7

thanks again for the advice - and it would seem - you can 'explain' how to do flowers - I have managed a couple of credible looking roses so far :)

I'd agree 100% that I'd need to go and get taught how to do this properly though. A web forum isn't the worlds greatest substitute for talented people spending time with you and showing you how things be done.

(I'm a 'pastry chef' at a small hotel in deepest darkest England BTW) and I always find that I never seem to do things exactly the way I am shown I always have to fiddle around with and tweak recipes and ideas and techniques till I find a way that works well for me.

Trial and error is not the best way of going about learning to cook - but it gets you there in the end :)

By Ramodeo (Ramodeo) on Friday, March 24, 2000 - 02:58 pm: Edit

Trial and error is a great way to learn to cook! Even tho it may take a little longer, you learn so much more, it's usually worth it. :-) In sugar work however, we are craftspeople and craft is often better learned when passed directly from person to person.

Good luck - hope you enjoy your sugar project and learn lots from it!

By Panini (Panini) on Friday, March 24, 2000 - 05:08 pm: Edit

unfortunately when you choose to have someone teach you it is usually in a learning enviornment.These class usually show you how to do everything.But usually don't show you the usual mistakes and how to correct problems when they come up.
I think the real talent of a professional chef is one who deals with opportunity in a level headed fashion and can correct or create something from a mistake. The real experience I have,comes from the times I just went for it.

By momoreg on Friday, March 24, 2000 - 05:32 pm: Edit

From a teaching point of view, I think it's also an art, knowing when to teach, and when to stand back and let your student learn from her own mistakes.