A couple of years ago, buyers (and many confectioners) lost interest in mastic decoration of desserts. Cakes covered with fondant and decorated with various figures did not attract, but rather scared away customers. The fact is that mastic is a very sweet decor, which also significantly increases the weight of the finished product.
Currently, sugar paste has again become one of the top ingredients for decorating desserts. Only now, as a rule, cakes are not covered with fondant, but only small decorative elements are created from it. Airy ruffles, delicate flower buds, and miniature figures decorate the works of famous confectioners.
There is a huge selection of mastic on the shelves of confectionery stores. Sugar paste varies in composition, purpose and, of course, cost. To choose the right product, it is important to understand what each type of mastic is used for.
Well, if you don’t have the opportunity to purchase a quality product, then you can always get out of the situation and make mastic yourself. Therefore, let's figure out what mastic is, what it comes in, and how to prepare sugar paste at home. I will share proven recipes for homemade mastic and tell you how to work with it.
What is confectionery mastic
Before you start making homemade mastic, I suggest you figure out what it is. Mastic is a kind of sugar paste, a sweet, viscous mass that resembles plasticine in structure contains powdered sugar. The texture of the finished mastic depends on its quality.
functions are also similar to plasticine. Mastic is used to create various figures, flowers and decorative elements. You can also use mastic to cover the entire surface of the cake. If you do not have good sculpting skills, you can use various molds and weiners.
is painted with conventional water-soluble gel dyes. The more pigmented your dye is, the better. The fact is that mastic does not like moisture, which deforms its texture. Therefore, when dyeing, add the dye gradually and give it time to fully develop.
Of course, painting the mastic in some pastel shades is quite simple. But if you need mastic in bright colors , for example, black or red, then I advise you to purchase ready-made colored mastic in the store. Achieving bright, rich color at home is extremely difficult.
If you use edible printing to decorate your desserts, then you're probably familiar with sugar paper. In essence, a sugar sheet is a layer of very thinly rolled mastic. To place the mastic picture on the cake, you need to isolate it from the cream using melted chocolate.
You can also attach waffle pictures to a rolled out layer of mastic. They are attached using alcohol or neutral gel
To cover a cake with mastic, the same rule applies: the mastic must be insulated from moisture. Therefore, cakes for wrapping are usually covered with butter cream or chocolate ganache.
But when creating mastic figures , it is allowed to hold its elements together with a small amount of water. To make the figurine better hold its shape, you can secure some of its parts with skewers. A completely dried figurine does not have to be eaten. It is better to put it on a shelf as a memory of the celebration.
How to store cakes (covered with fondant)
These are tips for storing fondant-covered cakes from Inga Ferenczi:
The cake decorated with fondant is stored in the refrigerator. Preferably at a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius (this is the standard temperature in a refrigerator)…
A cake with mastic lasts longer than “uncoated cakes” (cakes without mastic) because there is no access to oxygen to the covered cake, so it stays fresh longer...)
Before cutting and serving, you need to let the cake sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so that the mastic, which always hardens in the refrigerator, softens...
Is it possible to store a cake with fondant in the freezer?
You should never put a cake covered with mastic in the freezer - because then, when it thaws, it will look completely tinny...) like gauze...)
I usually make a cake in several stages: I bake the cakes at night...in the morning I assemble and decorate the cake, in the evening I give it away...at such intervals of time....
If it’s in the morning, then the same thing shifts to the right time.. My cakes don’t survive for more than 3 days..) they are eaten. Therefore, I can’t say how long they can be stored to the maximum......But 3 days - for sure...fearlessly...!)
Should I cover the cake?
No...the cake under the mastic does not need to be covered in the refrigerator...and it’s not necessary at all - it’s already covered anyway..)
The only thing is that when transporting, I advise you to transport it in boxes or closed... or covered with film... but this is only so that nothing gets on the cakes... rain, street dust or some other misfortune...
Well, that seems to be all! Get started! Good luck to you!
And here is a gorgeous Bulgarian cake for St. Nicholas Day with a marine theme and a goldfish.
Types of mastic
Both store-bought and homemade mastic differ in different parameters. Let's look at the classifications of mastic by composition and scope of application.
Classification of mastic by composition
- Gelatin mastic
This mastic is prepared from the simplest ingredients (gelatin, water, honey, powdered sugar) and has a wide range of applications. It is great for both creating figures and completely covering the cake.
- Marshmallow mastic
This mastic is perfect for covering a cake. It is prepared quickly and easily, and the result is high quality. This mastic is colored using conventional gel dyes.
- Chocolate mastic
Sometimes this mastic is also called “plastic chocolate”. It is used to create small figures or flowers. Remember that this mastic can only be colored using fat-soluble dyes.
- Mastic with marzipan
Since this mastic contains ground almonds, you need to work with it carefully. Marzipan mastic is universal, but it is still better to use it to create simple shapes.
- Milk mastic
This mastic turns out to be a pleasant cream color, which can be bleached with dye if desired. Mastic based on milk powder is ideal for sculpting all kinds of figures and flowers.
Classification of mastic by purpose
For sculpting figures
- milk mastic
- chocolate mastic
- marzipan mastic
- gelatin mastic
For covering the cake
- marshmallow mastic
- marzipan mastic
- gelatin mastic
Universal
- gelatin mastic
- marzipan mastic
Any type of mastic should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. In such conditions, the mastic will be stored for 2-3 weeks.
Is it possible to eat mastic from a cake?
Yes, you can. Mastic for cakes not only has the function of decorating a culinary product, but is also completely edible.
Provided, of course, that food dyes do not cause allergic reactions in you. So, bon appetit!
In our family, we only have cakes on holidays (otherwise they lose their charm), we all eat mastic, including the kids.
Provided, of course, that food dyes do not cause allergic reactions in you. So, bon appetit!
Bitumen is harmful to health
Bitumen is classified into natural and artificial. Natural bitumen is a component of fossil fuels. These include natural oil derivatives formed when the conservation of its deposits is disrupted as a result of chemical and biochemical oxidation, for example, asphalts, kerites, maltas, ozokerites, etc.
Is bitumen harmful to health?
The basis of the technology is the use of Green Board building thermal insulation panels. The walls, ceilings and roof structures of the house are a high-tech monolithic three-layer panel consisting of two Green Board slabs, between which a layer of heat-insulating material is glued under pressure.
Dear experts, I would like to receive advice on the use of bitumen mastic when laying plywood. I will put a parquet board on top of the plywood. I have a screed made, heating pipes pass under the screed (where and how exactly is unknown), so fixing it with self-tapping screws is not an option. I chose the option of gluing the plywood onto bitumen mastic. In this regard, I am interested in the following questions:
Nowadays, architects are more often trying to use such options for the organization of exploited roofs, but among buildings of earlier construction, the reorganization of such spaces can be quite complex and require significant costs. At the same time, when exposed to sunlight, there may be an intensification of the emission processes from roofing materials of components, the impact of which on human health poses a certain danger.
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Is bitumen harmful to health?
Take off? I climbed in to read about bitumen - now I’m out. The house is panel, about 15 years old. Can bitumen still produce fumes that are harmful to health? I would have removed everything and made a screed, but we have parquet in the entire apartment, except for 2 rooms, and they decided to put cork in 2 rooms (the previous owners had carpets - they removed them, and underneath there were hardboard and bitumen stains).
- perfectly tolerate any aggressive influence of external factors;
- do not create problems with transportation;
- allow construction work to be carried out at any time of the year at any ambient temperature;
- long service life;
- simplicity and speed of application. This allows any home craftsman to carry out waterproofing with bitumen mastic independently;
- seamlessness of the finished coating, which eliminates the formation of leaks over time;
- excellent adhesion characteristics. This mastic can be applied to any type of surface without taking into account the main building material;
- low cost of many types;
- high efficiency of protection against moisture.
Before starting work, you need to find out in what quantity you need to use mastic to create a waterproofing layer. To do this, first of all you need to study the manufacturer's instructions. Most often, the recommended consumption rate is given on the pack with the composition.
Scope of use
Manufacturers produce a large number of varieties of mastics for waterproofing. To make it easier for the consumer to decide on the right material, experts classify them into several groups. The main criteria used are:
This is modified petroleum bitumen in its pure form, to which additives for various purposes have been added. It is the latter that smooth out some of the negative aspects of this waterproofing material. For example, its high fluidity or cracking at low temperatures.
Is bitumen harmful to health?
undergo appropriate theoretical and practical training and be able to provide pre-medical care to victims of accidents and road traffic accidents; in accordance with the nature of the work performed, correctly use the personal protective equipment provided to him, and in case of their absence or malfunction, notify his immediate supervisor.
Is bitumen harmful to health?
If possible, it is better not to drink honey with anything, and if you do drink it, then with lukewarm water, but in no case with hot tea! When honey is heated above 40˚, most of its beneficial qualities are lost due to the destruction of vitamins and antibacterial substances.
- The mastic is applied in a thin layer, usually about 1 mm.
- To install a soft roof, a special paste-like bitumen mastic is used; for gluing rolls of roofing felt and similar materials, liquid mastic is used.
- When applying mastic, special attention is paid to the edges of rolled materials and joints.
- When making connections, bitumen mastic is applied both to the roof and to the wall or pipe. In this case, you need to cover 30 cm of the vertical surface for reliable sealing.
- If abutment strips or passage elements are not used to make connections, then the mastic is applied in several layers, reinforced with fiberglass or non-woven fabric. This is necessary so that the mastic coating holds its shape and does not “float”.
Bitumen is one of the oldest waterproofing materials. This is not an exaggeration - it was used in Mesopotamia and other ancient states. But in its pure form, bitumen is short-lived: after hardening, it becomes brittle, cracks when the temperature changes, and cannot withstand point loads—it is enough to step on the bitumen coating unsuccessfully to damage it and break the tightness. Therefore, instead of pure bitumen in modern construction, compositions based on it are used for waterproofing - bitumen mastics. After hardening, they provide a durable and elastic coating with a service life of up to 25 years, and in some cases even more.
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What is bitumen mastic
When repairing a roof, the area of leakage or damage is cleaned and thoroughly dried. This is important because often water that gets under rolled bitumen materials does not find a way out for a long time and remains under the coating, damaging it. In addition, before using bitumen mastic, be sure to clean off the protective mineral coating in those areas of the roof where the patch will be glued.
Due to its low cost, as well as its insolubility in water, bitumen and its modifications have found wide application in the production of waterproofing and adhesive materials, without which no construction industry can now do.
