How to Make Beads Out of Sugar

Place sugar pearls on a cake randomly or in a pattern.

Confectioners' sugar and corn syrup made into fondant make a pliable material similar in texture to polymer clay that will form and dry into edible beads or pearls of various sizes. Often used in cake decorating, these sugar beads can be colored with edible luster dust in one of dozens of colors. Use sugar beads in long, prefabricated rows as edging on cakes or form individual beads to use in cake decorating or other craft projects.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring cup
• 1/4 cup water
• Heat-proof bowl
• 1 packet unflavored gelatin
• Fork
• Water
• Saucepan
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. glycerin
• 8 cups confectioners' sugar
• Large mixing bowl
• Rubber spatula
• Refrigerator
• Cake bead molds
• Cooking spray
• Offset spatula
• Luster dust
• Damp towel
• Plastic wrap

Instructions

Make a Fondant

1. Add water to a small heat-proof bowl and sprinkle powdered unflavored gelatin over the water.

2. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes or until the gelatin swells; stir the gelatin into the water with a fork to avoid lumps.

3. Boil some water in a saucepan, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Place the bowl with the gelatin and water over the saucepan to dissolve the gelatin.

4. Add the corn syrup and glycerin to the gelatin and stir over the simmering water until the mixture is clear.

5. Measure 7-3/4 cups of confectioners' sugar into a large mixing bowl and reserve the remaining 1/4 cup of confectioners' sugar for rolling the fondant.

6. Pour the gelatin mixture in a circle over the confectioners' sugar and combine well with a rubber spatula. Knead the fondant mixture in the same bowl with clean hands until it comes together.

7. Place the kneaded fondant on a work surface sprinkled with the remaining confectioners' sugar and coat your hands with confectioners' sugar as well. Knead the fondant for 10 minutes or until it is smooth.

8. Use the fondant right away or store in the refrigerator until the next day.

Mold the Edible Beads

1. Take the fondant out of the fridge and allow it to warm up to room temperature. Roll some fondant into a rope a little larger in diameter than the size of the beads you are making in the mold.

2. Spray the fondant bead mold with cooking spray down the center of the mold. Open the bead mold face down over the fondant rope, press into the fondant and close the mold.

3. Open the cake bead mold to check the formed beads, and add more fondant if some beads are flat. Re-close the mold, but do not squeeze it together.

4. Using the offset spatula, scrape any excess fondant off the seam of the closed mold; open the mold and let the fondant beads fall out.

5. Attach the rope fondant beads to a cake using piping gel or cut between the fondant beads with a sharp knife and roll each piece into round beads.

6. Roll the individual beads in luster dust to color them, then air dry to harden the beads before using as decorations.

Tips & Warnings

• Glycerin is sold at craft and cake decorating supply stores.

• To store the fondant overnight, wrap the fondant in plastic wrap then in a damp towel. Wrap the fondant in another layer of plastic wrap, then place the wrapped fondant in the refrigerator to keep for up to 24 hours.

• As an alternative to bead molds, punch out rounds in rolled fondant using a cake decorating tip and roll the flat rounds to make small beads or pearls. Color the beads after they dry by adding them to a plastic container with luster dust; cover, then shake the beads to color.

• Do not pour the liquid ingredients for fondant into the confectioners' sugar all at once or they will congeal instead of blending with the sugar.

References

• Earlene's Cakes: Edible Sugar Pearls for Your Cakes
• Country Kitchen Sweetheart: Instructions Creating Edible Beads
• "Baking";James Peterson; 2009