Gum Paste, for Ornaments on Cakes

Ingredients

• gum adragant or tragacanth
• warm water
• double or treble refined loaf sugar
• fine hair powder
• gamboge
• cochineal
• indigo

Directions

1. Dissolve gum adragant or tragacanth in warm water and let it stand covered for 24 hours.

2. Strain it through a cloth and place it in a mortar with sifted sugar.

3. Pound the mixture for at least 30 minutes until it draws into strings.

4. Ten minutes before finishing, add fine hair powder and continue to pound.

5. Work the mixture to a proper consistency with more sifted sugar and one third as much hair powder.

6. Add color using gamboge, cochineal, or indigo as desired.

7. Mold into shapes for decoration on cakes or desserts.