How To Make a Royal Icing Gazebo

The instructions for the gazebo shown in the previous post came from the book The Art of Royal Icing by Eddie Spence MBE.  So as not to infringe on his copyright, I can show you how I made it but I cannot provide the templates for the design.  If you really want to try this gazebo at some point, you will have to have purchase Eddie Spence’s book.  His instructions for making this are very thorough and easy to follow.  The only difference is some of the British terminology, i.e. run-out icing for flood icing.  This gazebo is actually a cake topper but as Ron and I are not big cake eaters, I decided that making the gazebo without a cake for it to sit on would be just fine.

The following lists the equipment used in this project:

piping bag

1.5 PME tip (2)

coupler

coupler fastener

small decorating bottle

tip coupler and ring for decorating bottle

1/4 metre of pink tulle (more than enough)

tinfoil

small piece of corrugated cardboard cut into a 7″ hexagon

Crisco shortening

cellophane (basket wrap quality)

one batch of royal icing

printed copies of gazebo templates

First order of business was to print off two copies of the six templates necessary to make this gazebo (found on page 296 of the book).  I then cut out each of the templates.  I also cut out pieces of pink tulle the same size as the side panels, doors and roof sections.  These sections measured as follows:

Side Panels ~ 2″ wide x 3 7/8″ long (5 panels required)

Door Panels ~ 1″ wide x 3 7/8″ long (2 panels required)

Roof Panels ~ 2″ wide at base of triangle x 3″ high (six panels required)

I also cut out the templates for the solid base which the gazebo would sit on, smaller bases to position the cookie heart on, as well as the curved fillet template for the roof adornment.  These pieces measured as follows:

Curved Fillets ~ 2″ wide x 3/4″ high at the center point.  (I did not use the pink tulle for the fillet pieces)

Large Solid Hexagon Base ~ 7″ from each point

Medium Solid Hexagon Base ~ 5″ from each point

Small Solid Hexagon Bases ~ 1 1/4″ from each point and 1″ from each point

As my royal icing was mixing, I followed Eddie Spence’s instruction to use pieces of cellophane lightly coated with white vegetable fat (Crisco).  These would be used to place over the templates.   Then, I cut sections of pink tulle to match the shape and size of the templates.  The tulle would be placed on top of the greased cellophane and then the outlines of the templates would be piped right on to the tulle.  Normally, I have always piped on to waxed paper when creating structures with royal icing and I have to tell you, the greased cellophane works so much better!

Once my icing was mixed to a stiff consistency, I half filled my piping bag with it.  The first thing I piped was a dotted border for the large hexagon base which was cut from corrugated cardboard and covered in foil.  When the border dried, I flooded it with flood icing and set it aside to dry completely.

Next the medium base was piped and flooded along with the smaller two bases that would hold the cookie heart inside the centre of the gazebo.  The roof fillets were also done at this time and set aside to dry.

I next piped the templates for roof.  The template was place under the greased cellophane, then the matching piece of pink tulle was placed on top and with stiff piping icing, all the roof pieces were piped.  This is a three-step process. The border of roof section is piped first, when dry it is flooded and when the flood icing is dry, the filigree work is piped in.  The piping was done using a 1.5 tip. The flooding was done using a small decorating bottle filled with flood icing and fitted with a 1.5 tip.

In his book, Eddie Spence uses white tulle while I went with pink.  Any excess tulle can be trimmed with scissors once your templates have dried.  Basically the tulle, while giving the gazebo an even more delicate look, also helps to support the scroll work.

Following the roof pieces, the sides and the doors of the gazebo were completed using the same three-step process as the roof pieces.

Whenever I make structures with royal icing I always make extra pieces.  You never know when you might accidentally smudge one or two of your scroll works

With all the pieces piped and flooded, they were left to dry completely overnight.  Once you have everything set to go, making all the required pieces does not take a lot of time actually and everything here was completed in an afternoon.

Next day, peel all your sections away from the cellophane and arrange in the order you are going to piece them together.  To attach all the roof pieces I used a piece of styrofoam with the template of the roof drawn on it.  In the centre of the template I made a hole and inserted three wooden skewers for the tip of each roof section to rest against.  A piece of greased cellophane was put in place and one at a time, a roof piece was positioned on a piped line of royal icing.  As each additional roof piece was added, a line of piping was attached to the side of the roof piece as well as on the base of the roof piece.

Once you have assembled all the roof pieces together, run beads of icing down each side of the sections and two beads of varying sizes on the very top (after removing the supporting sticks of course).

Now it’s time to assemble the sides of the gazebo.  You will be placing the sides on the medium dried hexagon piece (5″).  Run a line of royal icing the length of one side along the inside edge of the hexagon and attach a side.  Support it in place until it has dried and then run a strip of piping icing down one side of the section and along the bottom where you will attach the next side of the gazebo.  When the second side is in place, run a row of beaded icing along the inside edge down the length of the side.

Repeat this process until you have all the sides attached.  You will not be able to run the interior bead of icing along the final two sections however.  Don’t worry about this.  Once all sides are in place, attach the doors of the gazebo.  Then run beads of icing along all the length of the exterior of all the side panels.

Next it’s time to insert the heart cookie into the center of the gazebo.  Using a small dot of royal icing, attach the two small hexagon pieces together (1 1/4″ and 1″ ) larger piece on the bottom.  Then apply a large dot of royal icing on the top of the smaller hexagon and place the cookie in the middle.  Hold or support in place until dry.  Position the cookie in the center of the gazebo.  When your heart cookie has been positioned, pipe a strip of royal icing all along the top of the gazebo side panels.

Now, place your roof section on top.  Once the roof has dried to the panels, attach each roof fillet by applying a line of piping icing at the base of each roof section and position each roof fillet in place, one section at a time.

To finish the roof, apply a row of beaded royal icing all around the exterior base of the roof.  Position the finished gazebo on the large (7″) hexagon.  You can firmly attach it with a few drops of royal icing should you so chose.  If this is to be used as a cake topper then the gazebo must be removed from the cake before cutting and because of the tulle, it is of course, not edible

Oops…I just realized that I forget to add that I was linking this up to Cheryl’s I’m Lovin’ It Friday’s party.  If you have a chance, be sure to go and check out all the wonderful ideas from crafting to cooking on her site.

The Gazebo ~ A Story of Love

{It is with a bit of apprehension that I publish this post.  It’s quite a departure from those of the past yet, while I was taking the photographs of the gazebo, the following short story began formulating in my head so I decided to go with it.  As posts go, it is rather lengthy but I hope you enjoy it.  The tutorial for the gazebo will be published as promised, just in another, much shorter post}

The Gazebo

“Jonas, Karen just called”, Jessie said rather quizzically to her son at the other end of the line. “I may have an offer coming in on the house.”  “That’s great Mom”, Jonas replied unable to conceal his excitement.  “I know this is hard but you are making the right decision in selling.  If it’s a good offer just accept it and then you can move on with your life,” her son said before asking, “Why do you sound so weird?  You know Diane and I will help you will every step of the move and we’ll help you find a perfect condo Mom, everything will be O.K”

“I know Jonas, I know.  It’s just that Karen asked if the gazebo came with the sale of the house and property and I don’t know anything about a gazebo.  I know we have a lot of acreage but I think after 35 years of living here I’d know if there was a gazebo anywhere on our property!”

“Oh my God Mom!”  Jonas exclaimed, “With everything happening so quickly, I completely forgot about it.”  “Forgot about it?” Jessie stammered, “What it?”  “What the heck are you talking about Jonas?”  “Mom I’m coming right over, get your coat on.  We’re going for a drive and I’ll explain everything when I get there”, Jonas said and before she could get any more information out of her son, he had hung up.

Ten minutes later Jessie heard the familiar sound of the old Chevy’s truck tires rolling up the gravel driveway.  Coat on and fastening the last button she stepped out onto the front porch as Jonas put the truck in park.   Waving to her as he exited the driver’s side, Jonas ran around to the passenger side and opened the door for his Mom.  Jessie’s heart quickened as she noticed yet again, how much her son was just like his Dad and seeing him with his father’s old blue Silverado, Jessie’s thoughts quickly slipped back through the years.

They had met at the wedding of mutual friends in England.  The attraction was shared and instantaneous and the two of them spent the better part of the wedding week getting to know one another.  When Jake had to return to Missouri, they began a long distance relationship that would last for two years.  When Jake proposed to Jessie on her 22nd birthday in the gazebo of her parent’s country garden in Sussex, she could not have envisioned a more suitable place for Jake to ask her to marry him.

The garden gazebo was Jessie’s favourite place to be growing up.  She spent countless hours playing in it, loving the fresh air blowing gentle breezes while its shade offered respite from the overhead sun.  Jessie had celebrated every one of her birthdays in it and she launched many adventures from it while getting lost in the pages of her favourite books.  When she needed to mull over a problem, the gazebo was where Jessie always went, bouncing her frustrations and her ideas off one or all of its five walls until she had the answers she was seeking.  It was both her place of refuge and inspiration.  After being married to her beloved Jake in it on a sundrenched day in May, the gazebo would always be her treasured place of new beginnings.

The newlyweds settled in a little town outside of St. Louis, Missouri.  They rented an apartment while Jake finished his journeymen hours with a master craftsman and Jessie took a job working in a local bakery.  As she was closing up the shop one day, Jake pulled up outside the front door and waited as Jessie set the alarm and turned the deadbolt.  He was excited and could hardly wait for her to climb up into his Silverado.  He only told her that he was taking her for a little drive because he needed to show her something.  Forty-five minutes out-of-town he took a left turn and drove up a long narrow laneway that led to an open field surrounded beautiful mature oak trees.  Putting the truck in park, he turned off the ignition, announced that this is where he will build their home, and did she like it?  Jessie loved the land within the year, they moved into their new home in the country.

She began a home cake decorating business and ran it from her new professionally equipped kitchen.  Jake had become a master carpenter and opened his own construction business at the edge of town.  A little over a year after settling into the house, little Jonas was born after a very difficult pregnancy and delivery that left Jessie unable to have any more children.  Her cakes were in high demand and she was grateful that this little business of hers allowed her to be at home with her son.  Jonas was home schooled until high school and from the time he could swing a hammer Jake taught him everything he knew about carpentry and often took him to his shop when his school lessons had been completed.  It came as no surprise to either of them when Jonas announced that he did not want to go to university but was choosing a trades college instead.  He wanted to become a master craftsman like just like his Dad and while Jake insisted that his son apprentice, not under his Dad but rather under the best there was there was little he could do to hide his pride in his son’s choice of profession.  Jake knew that when Jonas had his journeymen papers he would be handing over his business to him.

They had a good life and Jessie was grateful for every day.  She and Jake did not lead a charmed life but they knew that God had blessed them all.  Sure, some difficult roads were travelled, some of them with many but they had taken this journey together and she knew that there was no other man she would have rather shared it with.  Marriage is a lot of work, a lot of give and take and when she and Jake exchanged their vows in her parent’s gazebo, they both knew that no matter what might come; they were in it for the long haul.

“Are you coming Mom?”  Jonas’ question startled Jessie out of her thoughts.  “Yes, yes of course”, she replied as she stepped off the porch and over to the open door.  Climbing inside and fastening her seatbelt she looked over at Jonas climbing into the driver’s side and asked, “Now what about this thing you forgot and where are you taking me?”

Jonas turned the truck around and began driving to the southeast end of their property.  As he drove, he would steal glances over at his Mom and in a quiet and calm voice, he began to explain.  “Remember when Nan got sick and you spent the better part of three months flying back and forth between here and Sussex to help Gramps take care of her?  Well, during that time Dad decided that he wanted to have a little surprise waiting for you when you flew back to us after settling Nan’s affairs.  He felt that the best place for your surprise would be where the sun cast it warm rays first thing every morning and where the red light of the setting sun would reflect off it every evening.  So, he chose to put your surprise in the little clearing down by where the stream rushes over the rocks”.  “What surprise Jonas, what are you talking about?” queried a very bewildered Jessie.  “I’m getting to it Mom”, Jonas said in his most soothing tone.  “For three months Dad cut and hammered, carved and fitted everything just so.  You know how meticulous he was and he wanted this to be just perfect for you.  He spent hours chiseling and sanding until he had every curve perfect.  He swore me to secrecy and his plan was to pack a picnic lunch and bring you down here and present it to you on your 35^th wedding anniversary.  Dad told me that he always felt bad about taking you away from Sussex, bringing you across the ocean and so far from your family.  He knew you were always happy here, with him, with us but he still felt that you gave up something when you married him and came to Missouri.  The last coat of paint was finished at the end of July and Dad could hardly wait until this May to surprise you.  Then the unthinkable happened and with everything we have been going through since August Mom, I am so sorry but all of this just went out of my head.  I remember Dad telling me that he needed to give you back a little piece of what you left behind in Sussex all those years ago and using photographs from your wedding album, he set about to build you this.”  And with having said that, Jonas turned the truck down the little slope leading to the stream and there in the middle of the clearing surrounded by a light blanket of undisturbed snow was her beloved Jake’s surprise.

Jessie opened the truck door and slowly climbed down.  Motioning to Jonas to stay, she walked towards the exact replica of the gazebo of her childhood, the gazebo of her marriage, the gazebo of her new beginnings.  Jake had painted it white and the late afternoon sun was casting an ethereal shadow on it and on the glistening snow that enveloped its base.  Stepping inside Jessie ran her hands along the smooth curved filigree work painstakingly done by her partner who left her so suddenly one lazy afternoon last August.

Death has no regard for schedule and when Jake woke that morning, he had a full day planned.  First order of business was to meet with his lawyer so he could formally sign ownership of his construction business over to his son.  Then he was going to go shopping for his first car.   His fifth Silverado was still in good running order and the mileage wasn’t too high on it.  Nevertheless, Jake had decided weeks earlier, that when he retired it was high time that he and Jessie start to get out and see a lot more of this great US of A while they were still healthy and mobile enough to enjoy it.  A nice and comfortable 6-cylinder sedan was the way to go, not a big old truck.  He was about to get into a 2012 Camry and while opening the door, he suddenly grabbed his left arm.  The alarmed salesman asked if he was O.K. and shaking his head Jake slumped to the floor of the car dealership.  He was gone.

Memories firmly shut down of that day and the months that followed, too painful to bring out from the recesses of her mind began rushing back to Jessie.  Surprisingly, instead of tears, standing in the middle of this beautiful gift from her Jake she felt an overwhelming sense of peace and comfort. Returning to her son waiting in the truck Jessie instructed, “Take me back home Jonas, I have a phone call to make.”  “Are you O.K. Mom” Jonas asked, the concern for his Mom evident in his voice.  “I’m fine son; in fact I can say with all honesty that this is the best I’ve felt in ages.”

Back in her kitchen, Jessie picked up the receiver and dialled the number.  “Hello Karen, its Jessie.” she said as the first real smile in months began to spread across her face.  “I’m just calling to tell you to take the house off the market.  It’s no longer for sale.”

(Royal Icing Gazebo Inspiration from the book The Art of Royal Icing by Eddie Spence MBE)

Birthday Cookies Inspired by Eddie Spence – Royal Icing Master

Today is Ron’s Aunt Marjorie’s birthday.  She is 91 years old and we are going to join Ron’s brother and three sisters at Aunt Marjorie’s nursing home in Cornwall to have a little birthday tea celebration with her.  We last saw Marjorie just before Christmas and she was in very good spirits.  I had brought down several dozen Christmas decorated cookies as a thank-you gift for the staff at the nursing home who take such good care of her.   Marjorie loves my sugar cookies and today I’m bringing some special birthday cookies solely for this lovely lady.

One of my Christmas gifts was the book The Art of Royal Icing by Eddie Spence.  Have you heard of him?  If you decorate with royal icing I’m sure you will really enjoy his book.  Eddie Spence has been baking and decorating for over 60 years and has taught royal icing for fifty of those years. He has designed and created wedding cakes for the Royal Family and in 2000 Eddie Spence became a Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth for his services to the Sugarcraft Guild and industry.

Once all of the business of Christmas was completed and everything packed away, I couldn’t wait to curl up and go through this one-of-a-kind book.  The photographs of the beautiful works of art that Eddie Spence so masterfully creates are nothing short of stunning and for me, this book is a real page turner, over and over again.  The instructions for decorating the samples shown within its pages explain the method thoroughly, complete with listing all of the material you will need with of course, the types of royal icing you will be using as well as instructions on how to make the various forms of royal icing.

The first big project I chose to do from The Art of Royal Icing will be shown in a later post and I’m pretty excited to share it with you.  I will give you the tutorial on how to make Eddie Spence’s Royal Icing Gazebo.  Mine is finished but with three days of freezing rain and heavy snow, I’m waiting for some sunlight in order to take better pictures of the finished product.  Today I’m sharing some of the cookies I made for Marjorie using piping techniques and patterns from the book.  Her cookies were my *practice piping rounds* but I think Marjorie will like them.

Marjorie shares her birthday with another very special person in my life, my husband Ron!  He’s 57 today but unlike Marjorie…I never made him any cookies!!

Tin Tin…the Cookies

As a youngster, I remember going to the little library on the base where we lived and spending time there reading Tin Tin books.  Actually, I read via the pictures more than the words because the books were all in French. Though for the first five years of my live I lived just over 2 hours from Etterbeek, Brussels (the home of Hergé – author of  The Adventures of Tin Tin) it wasn’t until we moved back to Canada from Marville, France that I had a library card.   Sadly, by that time my ability to speak, read and understand French was rapidly disappearing.  Still in all, the books were fun to look at and these cookies (inspired by the latest Spielberg movie) were fun to make.  I used some of my new PME seamless icing tips and I’m a convert.  I only have seven of the PME’s now but I am definitely purchasing more.

I didn’t realize it until I started doing some research on Tin Tin this morning that today is actually his birthday.  The first Tin Tin book was published on this day back in 1929.  Tin Tin and his adorable dog Snowy are actually 83 years old.  The fact that there are still so popular is a testament to the wonderful adventures that so many love to follow along on and today there are not only websites dedicated to all their fans (called Tintinologists) but also a Facebook and Twitter page.  Everyone of course, has their favourite characters from this beloved series but personally, being the dog-lover that I am, I’m kinda partial to little Snowy.

Of course, I realize that many love the other main characters that travel along with Tin Tin and Snowy on all of their adventures.  Many love Tin Tin’s best friend, the rum and whiskey loving Merchant Marine Captain Haddock.

Those with a more scientific bend may love the inventive but easily distracted Professor Calculus.

While many love the comical Scotland Yard detectives Thomson and Thompson.

Whatever your favourite character is, it is hard to resist the stories of a young man and his dog, in any language

These cookies were made with the help of my Kopykake projector.  I printed off images of all the above characters and used the Kopykake to trace the image onto the cookies with an edible marker.

With a #2 (PME tip ♥ ) I outlined all the characters with black piping icing. When the black was dry, I flooded in Tin Tin’s hair.

Next step was to fill in the faces with Ivory tinted flood icing as well as Snowy’s bones.

Following that, all the areas that needed to be black were flooded, Snowy was flooded with white flood icing and then other colours (Captain Haddock’s sweater, Professor Calculus’s overcoat etc.) were filled in.

The cookies were left to dry overnight before using a black edible marker to complete the faces and any other finishing details.

Happy New Year!

Today I’m over at Frosting for the Cause.  The 365 project has come to and end and I share a few thoughts of the past year, plus I made some cookies!  If you have time, I’d love for you to pop over and visit.

To all of my readers, a very sincere thank you for stopping in to visit me here throughout 2011.  I deeply appreciate your visit and your comments.  I hope to get around to visiting all of you as well.  I hope you all had a lovely and safe Christmas and best wishes to all of you in 2012, may you and your loved ones be blessed with good health, much happiness and just an all round wonderful year