Common Gum Paste
Ingredients
Directions
Make the paste
In a clean mortar, combine the fine sugar and powdered starch.
Pound the mixture until well blended.
When the paste breaks while pulling, it is ready.
Store
Store the paste in a pot covered with a wet cloth.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Very fine sugar
- Provides sweetness and the bulk of the paste's solid structure.
- Powdered starch
- Adds body and helps the paste set firm as it dries.
The step that matters
Pounding until well blended. If the sugar and starch are not evenly mixed, the paste can dry unevenly and crack or break when pulled. Thorough blending gives a uniform texture that stretches and sets evenly.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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