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Opalines Recipe (Cake decoration)
2016-05-18
- This Recipe
- Cuisine: French Cuisine
- Course: Base, Dessert Decoration
- Difficulty: Easy
- Category: Base
- Preparation Time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking Time: 11 Minutes
- Readiness Time: 15 Minutes
- This Post
- Author : FX (François-xavier)
- Category: Recipe
- Posted on: Wednesday May 18, 2016
- Comments : 21 Comments
-
Languages :
English | 
Français
- Ingredients
- Icing fondant, Glucose, Isomalt,
- Print This Recipe
-
Print
La version Française se trouve ICI |
Opalines are transparent sugar tuiles that are used in cake decorations, but also for plated desserts and sugar showpieces Don't forget to share your photos once you tried this recipe! HERE |
About this recipe |
Several methodsThere are multiple ways to make Opalines:
|
Ingredients
 | Method #1 some Sugarsome ButterMethod #2 some SugarMethod #3 ¾ Cup 'pouring' Icing Fondant (not rolling fondant) (180 grams)⅓ Cup Glucose syrup (100 grams)some Food ColoringMethod #4 some Isomalt Sugar |
You will need...
Steps
Method 1 (sugar and butter : Easy to do but become golden) |
1. Let the
2. You will need a silicon mat (or a "silpat” ), or at least parchment paper
3. Once the
4. Make sure you're not using too much butter ! It would turn the opalines into an awful piece of greasy caramel
Butter
soften at room temperature for30 minutes
2. You will need a silicon mat (or a "silpat” ), or at least parchment paper
3. Once the
Butter
is soft, spread it using a brush (or even your fingers)4. Make sure you're not using too much butter ! It would turn the opalines into an awful piece of greasy caramel
5. Sprinkle generously some
6. Shake the pan to spread the
7. Using a round cookie cutter, or even a glass with sharp edges, press and twist to create some circles on the mat
8. You can make circles of different sizes, you may even make circles inside other recipes to create "rings"
Sugar
6. Shake the pan to spread the
Sugar
and coat the entire surface, then flip over a sink and shake to remove the excess of sugar7. Using a round cookie cutter, or even a glass with sharp edges, press and twist to create some circles on the mat
8. You can make circles of different sizes, you may even make circles inside other recipes to create "rings"
9. 
Bake in pre-heated oven at 360 °F / 180 °C or about
10. Take the pan out of the oven and allow to cool down for about
11. Lay a parchment paper on top
12. Lay another pan
Bake in pre-heated oven at 360 °F / 180 °C or about 11 minutes
10. Take the pan out of the oven and allow to cool down for about
2 minutes
11. Lay a parchment paper on top
12. Lay another pan
13. After
14.
Be careful, as opalines can be fragile and can break
15 minutes
, flip and start removing the sheet very carefully14.
Be careful, as opalines can be fragile and can break
Here's the "ring" I talked to you about
Colored opaline with the method 1 |
1. Simply use food coloring
2. Pour one drop on sugar
3. Then, stir into a frenzy the sugar and the food coloring. Use a hand whisk or even a fork
4. You know the next steps, use this colored sugar for the "method 1" we previously saw
2. Pour one drop on sugar
3. Then, stir into a frenzy the sugar and the food coloring. Use a hand whisk or even a fork
4. You know the next steps, use this colored sugar for the "method 1" we previously saw
Here's your Colored Opaline
Method 2 (ground caramel) |
1. With this method, cook some
2. Let the caramel cool down and become solid, then grind in a food processor
Sugar
(caramel) and pour onto a silicone mat2. Let the caramel cool down and become solid, then grind in a food processor
3. Sprinkle the caramel powder onto a silicone mat
4. Bake the powder in the oven (same as previous method)
4. Bake the powder in the oven (same as previous method)
Method 3 (Glucose and icing fondant : more difficult to do but opalines stay transparent) |
1. 
Heat the
2. You may add a few drops of
3. Pour on a silicon mat (silpat) and allow to cool (
4. Crush using a food processor or a blender
5. Sieve the powder onto a Silpat (you may use a stencil)
6. You may use round cookie cutter to create circles
7. Place in a 360 °F / 180 °C pre-heated oven until the opaline has melted.
Heat the 'pouring' Icing Fondant (not rolling fondant)
(¾ Cup or 180 g) and theGlucose syrup
(⅓ Cup or 100 g) to 345 °F / 175 °C. Be aware that this is NOT "rolling fondant" but another type of fondant, the icing fondant used to glaze éclairs for instance !2. You may add a few drops of
Food Coloring
to obtain Colored Opalines3. Pour on a silicon mat (silpat) and allow to cool (
30 minutes
)4. Crush using a food processor or a blender
5. Sieve the powder onto a Silpat (you may use a stencil)
6. You may use round cookie cutter to create circles
7.
Place in a 360 °F / 180 °C pre-heated oven until the opaline has melted. Method 4 (Isomalt: easiest method, and opalines stay transparent) |
1. This is the simplest method, and the most effective
2. With so many benefits, why not use it every time ? Because it requires Isomalt which is not easy to find, and which is more pricey
3. Simply sprinkle
4. And if you want colored opalines, mix with food coloring before baking
2. With so many benefits, why not use it every time ? Because it requires Isomalt which is not easy to find, and which is more pricey
3. Simply sprinkle
Isomalt Sugar
on a silicone mat (called "silpat") and bake. The isomalt melts4. And if you want colored opalines, mix with food coloring before baking
The result and the pix
|
|
Share Your Photos
Comments for This Recipe
21 Comments
-
On Wednesday December 13, 2017
FX (François-xavier) answered:
Hi Valentino
#3 and #4 are not using butter, the melted sugar can be poured directly onto the silpat -
On Friday March 9, 2018
Carole wrote:
Bonjour. J'aimerais tester la méthode 1 mais je n'ai ni tapis silicone ni parchemin. Il y a t-il une autre solution ? Merci -
On Friday March 9, 2018FX (François-xavier) answered:
Ça risque d'être compliqué...
Je n'ai jamais essayé sans. Je vous recommande d'acheter un tapis silicone : On en trouve pour moins de 10 Euros en supermarché -
On Wednesday August 22, 2018
Anonymous wrote:
perfect -
On Tuesday November 20, 2018oshi wrote:
i didnt understand the method of the isomalt . could you please write down the steps..
thank u
so much -
On Tuesday November 20, 2018FX (François-xavier) answered:
Just spread the isomalt on a silicon mat, and place in hot oven
-
On Thursday December 20, 2018joe wrote:
-
On Monday March 11, 2019
Charles Forsyth wrote:
Thank you so much for posting the recipe and your technique for creating such beautiful edible decorations. I found your page after searching for "clear caramel decorations" trying to find inspiration for decorating a key lime pie. I had initially just thought of little droplets to place on top but this gave me inspiration so I'm trying it now...Literally--they're in the oven. Wish me luck. -
On Wednesday April 24, 2019Nicol wrote:
Hi Francois,
Would u hv a recepie for pouring fondant...thnk u -
On Tuesday September 17, 2019Susan wrote:
Thank you very much🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
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On Tuesday January 28, 2020Irmina Díaz-Frois Martín (http://www.elzurrondelospostres.com/) wrote:
Hola François. Enhorabuena por tu trabajo.
Muchas gracias por las recetas y métodos.
Un saludo desde las islas Canarias. España. -
On Wednesday January 29, 2020FX (François-xavier) answered:
De nada Irmina ! me alegra de que te haya gustado esta receta
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On Thursday March 12, 2020Anonymous wrote:
😑😑😑😑😑😑😑😑I'm confused ...help!
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On Thursday March 26, 2020Suelen wrote:
What about we use some cocoa butter, ou some coconut oil on the mold for to make that tuile to be transparent?
Also controlling the temperature like 130 a 140°C -
On Tuesday August 25, 2020Sara wrote:
Hi, Chef! In method #2, is the grinder caramel sugar just a substitute for the sugar in method #1, then, just do the the rest of the same steps such as brushing butter, spreading the sugar thinly, use a ring mold, etc.? Thank you for sharing your recipes and techniques, Chef!
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On Tuesday August 25, 2020FX (François-xavier) answered:
Hi Sara
I have seen both ways actually. You may repeat the steps as method #1, or simply sprinkle the caramel dust on a clean silicone mat.
I prefer method #1 as I feel it's easier to detail the shapes, but sprinkling on a dry mat works as well and is easier
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some Sugar
some Butter
some Sugar
¾ Cup 'pouring' Icing Fondant (not rolling fondant) (180 g)
⅓ Cup Glucose syrup (100 g)
some Food Coloring
some Isomalt Sugar
On this subject .
Do you butter the silpat for method
3 and 4 as well?
For isomalt n glucose fondant ?
Thank you so much