Panoramic Easter Eggs
Using Hand Molded Gum Paste Miniatures & Flowers
Work, Layout & Editing by Diane Shavkin
Pictures by Steve Shavkin

 
 
Sugar Molding Recipe
Use 1 Tbsp of warm water for each cup of granulated sugar.  (For a 5-lb bag of sugar, just count out the number of cups of sugar used and add 1 Tbsp of warm water for each cup of sugar.)  If color is to be added, stir the paste food coloring into the water and stir until well dissolved before mixing the water with the sugar.  The sugar/water/food coloring mixture can be placed into a large bowl and kneaded with the hands or placed into a zip-locked baggie, secured and kneaded with the hands from the outside of the securely-locked baggie.

Diane Shavkin's Gum paste Recipe
1.  Place 3 Tbs. glucose into glass measuring cup (not metal).
2.  Add 11 Tbs. warm water.  Let melt.  When melted, stir well to blend mixture. 
3.  Place this into a hot water bath.
4.  Heat a glass bowl under hot running water (as hot as you can stand).
5.  Dry the bowl, and grease lightly with shortening.
6.  Into this hot bowl, place 1 lb., 12 oz. powdered sugar, which has been sifted with 3 level tbs.. gum tragacanth.  (I sell an excellent gum trag.  To purchase: shavkin @aol.com or sale prices on my web site:  http://www.shavkin.com).  Make a well.
7.  Pour liquid mixture into well, and stir till well blended (gradually, stir the sugar in with a wooden spoon).  Mixture will be rather soft.
8.  Over this mixture sprinkle 4 oz. powdered sugar (sifted).  Cover bowl with a damp cloth and let sit for 4 hours.
9.  Knead well, cover with plastic wrap and place in covered container.  Allow to sit at least 24 hours before using!
10.  Rework before using.

Royal Icing
2/3 cup water (warm)
1/4 cup meringue powder (obtained in cake shops)
1 tsp. cream of tartar
2 lbs. sifted, confectioner sugar
2 Tbsp gum arabic (optional)
Dissolve meringue powder in water, completely.  Whip at high speed until frothy (should look like beaten egg whites).  Add cream of tartar and remove from mixer.  Fold in the sugar.  Place back on mixer, and with paddle, beat until dull looking (slow speed).  Sprinkle in gum arabic through tea strainer.  DO NOT pour.  Store in glass container only and rebeat before using.  Note:  Gum arabic is used when "strength" is required for piping work such as when making lace points or other fragile items.

Basics:
1.  Use a two piece (top and bottom).  Make the sugar mixture for the egg shells.  Fill one half of the mold.  Pack well.  Place cardboard on top of the packed sugar.  Carefully, flip over the mold keeping the cardboard in place.  Place the egg, with cardboard underneath, on the work surface.  Slide the cardboard out from underneath the mold.  Note:  The bottom half of the egg mold has a flat surface.  The top half of the egg mold is curved.
2.  Let the shells air dry for 2-4 hours.  Test with fingertip to see the width of the edge.  Scoop out the soft sugar.  Reuse the sugar to make more egg shells.
3.  To make the peek hole:  Dip a pastry brush into water.  Place the brush tip on the area to be removed and made into a curve for the opening.  Remove the brush tip from the sugar area.  Use a sharp knife to carve out the curved opening.
4.  Make a batch of gum paste.  Let the gum paste sit for at least one day.  Hand mold the ducks, chicks, bunnies with and without clothing, baskets filled with grass and eggs, etc.  Let the miniatures dry thoroughly.  (Takes 4-5 days).  Note:  I shape the clothing as I form the bunny.  When the bunny is dry, I paint the clothing using a clear alcohol (gin or vodka)
5.  Roll out the gum paste on Plexiglas or something similar.  Cut out the flowers with gum paste cutters.  Shape the flowers using gum paste tools.  Add stamens where appropriate.  (I cut mine from gum paste using manicure scissors.)  Let the flowers dry thoroughly for at least 3-4 days.  Dust the petals with petal dusts for character and realism.  Note:  Non-toxic chalks made be ground down by rubbing the chalks on a metal strainer and the powder form brushed onto the petals of the flowers.


6.  Make a batch of royal icing.  Tint the icing green.  Use the grass tip and/or a leaf tip of choice to make the leaves and grass.  Put the miniatures into place.  Add small jelly beans for the colorful eggs.  Let thoroughly dry for 3-4 days.

7.  Fill a decorator's bag (I prefer parchment for royal icing as it is grease free) with white royal icing.  (Grease will break down royal icing.)  Use a #5 tip and pipe a line of white, royal icing along the top edge of the bottom egg shell.  Carefully place the top egg shell on top of the royal icing and press down gently to adhere the two halves.  Hint:  Do not use too much icing on the edge of the egg shell or it will spread and show when one looks through the peek hole.  The same color icing as the egg shell may be used.

Use a #22 or similar tip and pipe the shell for border around the egg's seam and around the opening of the egg.  Attach the flowers with green royal icing and add the royal icing leaves.


Top View of the eggs
 

8.  For the upright eggs: 
To make the peek hole, dip a pastry brush into water.  Place the brush tip in the center of the egg shell.  (The egg shell should be horizontal with the curve upward).  Continue placing the brush dipped into water in the center of the egg shell and dabbing place in order to form the oval.  Carve out and shape the peek hole with a sharp knife. 
Pipe leaves and/or grass into the back egg shell.  Add the miniatures.  Pipe royal icing on the edge of the back egg.  Put the front of the egg shell into place and press gently to secure.  Add the rest of the leaves and/or grass, jelly beans and/or miniatures.  Lay the egg, back side down, on a cloth that has been gathered in order to give the egg support and hinter it from rolling.  Let dry for 1-2 days.

Hint:  Use the left over sugars and fill the cavities of the egg halves in order to create the marbled egg that is shown in the second picture from the left, above. 

When the egg is thoroughly dried, glue the egg to the sugar molded stand using royal icing.  Use containers, sturdy glasses, etc. around the egg to keep it in place as the royal icing dries.  (Takes 1-2 days). 

Use a #22 or similar tip and pipe the shell for the border around the egg's seam and around the opening of the egg.  Attach the flowers with green royal icing and add the royal icing leaves.

 
 
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