Sprinkles

You ever have one of those days where you just don't have what you need? Well for me this is one of those days. I wanted to do a cake experiment with white sprinkles, but I didn't want to get into the car for a 45 minute drive to the city just to get a measly bottle of sprinkles. It just wasn't worth it. So I set out on a little manhunt.

On my little hunt I discovered a way to make homemade sprinkles. Yes, that's right. Homemade sprinkles. It's really easy to make but can be a tad bit hard on your hands from all the piping, so I'm also going to show you a little trick to make it easier and faster to create a little more rustic looking sprinkles.

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Homemade Sprinkles
Makes about 2 cups of sprinkles
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp meringue powder
1/4 tsp extract
2-4 tbsp warm water
pinch of salt
Gel food coloring

In a bowl, sift the powdered sugar. In another small bowl whisk together 2 tbsp warm water with the meringue powder until foamy and then whisk in the extract of your choice, salt, and food coloring. Add the meringue mixture to the powdered sugar and whisk until a thick paste forms. If it's still a little dry add the other 2 tbsp of water.

To Form

1. To form the sprinkles use a round piping tip. A little trick to make the piping easier on your hands is to tie a twist tie around the top of the piping bag. Gather a small amount of the paste to the tip and leave the rest of the paste above your hand. Look at the picture for more detail.
   
   
   
   
2. A faster and easier way to make the sprinkles is by using a metal pastry comb. Spread the paste with a small offset spatula on the wax paper. Use the smallest side of the metal comb and scrape the paste gently along the wax paper so you don't rip the wax paper. You might have to go over it a few times. Repeat the process until all of the paste is gone.

Now just let the sprinkles dry for about 24 hours or longer. Once dry if you piped them carefully pry them off the wax paper and use a knife and give them a good chop until you are satisfied. If you did the pastry comb way use a small offset spatula and pry them off and then chop them with a knife or break with your fingers.