You can use silver lustre either dry or wet to add a shimmering, metallic finish to your baked goods and decorations.
Here's a breakdown of how to use it both ways:
Dry Application:
- Gather your supplies: You'll need silver lustre dust, a food-safe brush (a soft, fine brush works best), and your baked item (e.g., fondant-covered cake, cookies, etc.).
- Dip the brush: Lightly dip the brush into the silver lustre dust jar. Be careful not to overload the brush.
- Apply to your bake: Gently brush the lustre dust onto the desired areas of your baked item. Use short, even strokes for a smooth, consistent finish. You can layer the lustre dust to achieve a more intense shine.
Wet Application (Painting):
- Gather your supplies: You'll need silver lustre dust, a small dish or palette, food-safe alcohol (vodka or everclear works well, as it evaporates quickly) or a special lustre activator, and a food-safe brush.
- Mix the lustre and liquid: Place a small amount of silver lustre dust into your dish or palette. Add a few drops of alcohol or lustre activator and mix with your brush until you create a smooth, paint-like consistency. Add more liquid or lustre dust as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
- Paint onto your bake: Use your brush to paint the silver lustre mixture onto your baked item. Apply thin, even coats and allow each coat to dry completely before applying another. You can build up the color to achieve the desired level of shimmer.
Important Considerations:
- Food Safety: Always ensure that your lustre dust is food-grade and intended for use on edible items.
- Coverage: Both dry and wet application techniques offer different levels of coverage. Dry brushing provides a lighter, more subtle shimmer, while wet application gives a more intense, opaque finish.
- Evaporation: When using alcohol, work in a well-ventilated area, and allow the alcohol to evaporate completely before serving the baked item.
- Experimentation: Practice on a test piece before applying lustre to your final product to get a feel for the application and desired effect.
