Petal paste Reindeer

Ingredients

• Petal paste
• Brush on dust in Ivory Shimmer
• Iced robin

Equipment

• Latex
• Paint brush
• Vaseline
• Christmas deers

Instructions

1. Coat your deer in Vaseline.
2. Paint a thin layer of latex over sides and allow to dry.
3. Repeat step 2 over several days until you have a layer about 5mm thick.
4. Leave to dry for 12 hours.
5. Carefully pull off latex mould from reindeer.
6. Dust the inside with icing sugar.
7. Thoroughly knead sugar paste.
8. Push paste into mould, so head is full of petal paste.
9. Push petal paste into body of reindeer so all sides have at least 20mm of petal paste on them.
10. Leave to dry for about 30 mins.
11. Carefully pull mould away from the icing, starting at the back.
12. When you get to the neck begin to carefully cut mould away.
13. Put petal paste reindeer to one side.
14. Bend wire into antler shape.
15. Mould with your fingers some petal paste around wire antlers, leaving a prong at the end.
16. Push antlers into top of head.
17. Push iced robin into petal paste reindeer's back.
18. Brush ivory shimmer dust on reindeer's hooves and antlers.
19. Leave to set hard.

I love my Christmas Deers from Camel & Yak, so much so that I couldn't think of anything more perfect to go on top of my Christmas cake this year. So, I decided to make a latex mould from the doe and hand craft the antlers from wire and petal paste. I love how he turned out, even if his neck is a little on the wrinkly side! That came from me being clumsy when I cut the latex mould from around the petal paste. I was worried if I didn't get him out from under the latex he would not dry properly and in my haste his head fell off! I re-attached it back on with a wooden cocktail stick and painted over the join with royal icing.

Thank you to the lovely ladies at Blue Ribbons who gave me advice on how to make my hand-made doe mould.

Have a sweet day!