July 2, 2015

Let’s Make Wonderful & Easy Homemade Sugar Cubes!

Hello there!

The mad tea party is right around the corner, a perfect time to make tea treats.

I was thinking about making something pretty and easy, then it came to me.

Homemade sugar cubes!

Only, they ended up being more like little sculptures than cubes 🙂

Homemade sugar cubes 18

I used my exact technique for making panoramic sugar eggs here and here.

Remember those?

It worked great for sugar cubes.

I am smitten with this new fun and highly addictive craft of sorts.

Moons & hearts & sugar, oh my!

Homemade sugar cubes 16

Bonus, it is sooooo easy.

All you need is sugar, water, food coloring, parchment paper and any objects you can find to press sugar into.

Plus, a little drying or low temp.oven time to set the sugar (more on that below).

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So, just like the panoramic sugar eggs, you will use 2 teaspoons of water for every 1 cup of sugar.

Homemade sugar cubes 1

I like to use 3 cups of sugar and 6 teaspoons of water, which is a decent size batch.

You mix it up really well using a wooden spoon, or your hands, until your sugar is the consistency of wet sand.

Homemade sugar cubes 2

Funny enough, it's also just like working with wet sand at the beach.

If you'd like to add some color, a drop or two of standard food coloring does the job.

Homemade sugar cubes 3

When I was making the sugar eggs I found that I could make really pretty stands and extras just by pressing the sugar into fancy mini bundt tins and such.

So, I sought out some mini cookie cutters and mini tart molds I had for this project.

Line your work surface and your cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Then plunge into fun!

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I also used a teaspoon as a mold to make teaspoon sugar cubes as well.

I quickly amassed a fun smattering of sugar shapes.

Don't worry, some will crumble & it's okay, just keep going.

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I also made some minty colored sugar mixture by adding two drops of green food coloring to the sugar and two drops of blue.

I just add food coloring right to the wet sand sugar mixture and mix it in by hand, easy.

Homemade sugar cubes 4

I was having so much fun making different shapes, and then I had a shazam moment!

Homemade sugar cubes 7

What about edible gold dust?!

Gold disco dust no less 🙂

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I mixed some into my mint colored sugar and it looked great.

Then I went hunting for these moon face molds I had bought years ago for use with polymer clay.

I had never used them and thought they would work perfectly.

And….

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Guess what?

They sure did.

Homemade sugar cubes 12

Then I used a round mini cookie cutter to make dots.

Homemade sugar cubes 9

Moons and hearts and other shapes jumped into the mix and I had a ball.

I also just sprinkled some edible gold dust right on top of some of the shapes.

Homemade sugar cubes 13

So here's the final step.

To set them you can let them air dry in a dry place for 24-48 hours…

Or, my fave trick is to pop them in the oven at about 120'F – 150'F for 12-15 minutes.

Just make sure they do not brown.

And voila, they get nice and firm like proper sugar cubes should be.

Set in their shapes until you wet them.

Homemade sugar cubes 17

Of course, I had to dunk a moon face in some earl grey tea right away.

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And then it happened.

Pure magic!

I could not have been happier, doesn't sparkly tea make you happy?

I sipped away, enjoying it to pieces.

Homemade sugar cubes 6

I really don't think a cup of tea could get any more magical, do you?

Homemade sugar cubes 5

So, I have to say, the experiment worked.

I'm tickled to pieces and had to come share this project right away.

Especially since it's a great edible craft to do for all sorts of occasions, especially tea parties.

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Although, I think I will keep some around all the time.

It's just super fun in general and sure to add some smiles to any tea day.

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I'm so in love with these.

And bonus…

Who wouldn't love…

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Gold dust at the bottom of their tea cup?!

You can get your own edible disco dust at all sorts of places online.

I like to order some of my supplies from Kitchen Krafts, right here.

 

So, there we have it.

A really fun, easy & inexpensive project.

It really was just like playing with sand.

You will get the hang of it after a couple tries.

You can see above, that my cookie sheets were a hot mess.

It does crumble sometimes but is also really easy to work with if you are a little gentle.

I hope you give it a whirl.

I had a blast.

 

Mad Tea Party fun!!!!

 

Just another week or so and we'll be clinking tea cups!!

Can't wait!

 

Love, Vanessa

 

 

Sparkly heart

 

 

 ps:  If you really want to experiment with this, you can add all sorts of spices or extracts to your wet sand sugar mixture.  Just a tiny drop or pinch of this or that.  Things such as vanilla or lavender extract, or a pinch of cardamom or cinnamon.  You can also use rose water as a substitution for regular water.  I personally like standard water and sugar, but experimenting is good fun, just make sure you warn your guests about the flavors.

  1. Tante Mali says:

    This is fantastic. Never ever have seen that!!! Wowww!
    Happy days
    Elisabeth

  2. Janet says:

    Oh I love the gold swirling around in the cup! It is magical and your sugar “cubes’ are so pretty!!

  3. Alia says:

    Miss V, these are amazing! I love, love, love the moon faces with glitter. I wish I wasn’t so busy/lazy so I could make these. Perhaps you should sell some in your shop and then I can buy them and enjoy them while still being busy/lazy?!
    I unfortunately don’t think I will be participating in the Mad Tea Party this year as I will be out of town and don’t really have time to put something together before hand. I am off to San Diego Comic-Con next week so I will be dressing up, just not of the MTP variety!

  4. Carmen says:

    This is so creative and magical! I love it!!! Going to have to try this…

  5. Sherry says:

    This is fabulous! Might I add, too, your blog is quite magical! I stumble on it each summer when someone refers to the Mad Tea Party, and I always want to join but never do. I was wondering how outlandish and “mad” my tea party would have to be to participate. I don’t have magical gardens, but I do have tea cups. I wanted to sculpt characters from Wonderland, but, sadly, I just don’t have the time before the tea party. Could my dolls have a little tea party for the event? Thanks for sharing beautiful photos and amazing ideas!
    God bless,
    Sherry

  6. What a lovely idea just in time for the Mad Tea Party! I love this, Vanessa. Thanks for sharing!
    xo,
    RJ

  7. Oh I love that sparkly glittering tea! Put a huge smile on my face. 🙂 Lovely tutorial, thank you for sharing!
    Lotta xx

  8. Hello; what a great idea!!! It is what I need for our next fairy party !!

  9. Mette says:

    That`s it…. I neeeed edible gold dust. Great project 🙂

  10. Betty says:

    What a lot of fun this project is, Dear Vanessa! I just whipped up a little birthday tea for a friend last week and these little bits of magical sugar would have been perfect! Oh well! There’s always next year! So creative!!!
    Wishing you and your lovely family a wonderful 4th!
    With hugs,
    Betty

  11. Cynthia says:

    What a fabulous idea! Absolutely love this. . .thanks so much.

  12. Jenn says:

    This couldn’t be more magical! The pastel moons and stars are some of my favourite things! Such a delight. And glittery tea!? Oh my such a perfect concept.

  13. Renee says:

    Love this. I may have to try some for tea 🙂
    (We have been away on a trip so haven’t been here in days!)

  14. Jemma says:

    Dear Vanessa,
    This is my first Tea Party with you and I am so thrilled! These sugar cubes are as magical as they can be- I am going to try making some today just for the party!
    Thank you for hosting and I will see you soon!
    Xo
    Jemma

  15. Laura says:

    I have a wide variety of molds. Now I will run into the mad scientific kitchen lab!

  16. Marcia says:

    LOVE. Will try.
    xoxo

  17. SWEET just like YOU SWEET Vanessa!!! They are REALLY Beauty Full, my eyes LOVED this post as all your posts are DARLING!!! XOXOXOX

  18. I love your blog, lots of different and very interesting things in here. The pictures are very appealing. I’m adding it to my reading list 🙂

  19. Fantastic and so magical! I love the touch of the edible gold dust!
    I wonder if a clean rubber stamp would work to make an impression on top of a flat piece of rolled out sugar ‘dough’? I have Alice in Wonderland rubber stamps. I guess using a cake spatula or a sharp small knife, one could cut around the outside design of the stamped sugar.
    You definitely have my mind working overtime with this fun idea!
    Can’t wait for the Mad Tea Party!
    I’m busy with life and all, more than I was anticipating…But it IS the 150th anniversary of the writing of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ so I just cant’ miss it!!!
    XXOO
    Fairy kisses to you
    Miss Teresa

  20. Miss Teresa, yes so many options. However, it’s exactly like sand so it’s unstable. You can’t print on it or cut it, it will crumble. In fact for my little dots I was lucky the dot would stay in the cookie cutter & then I would quickly move it over to the cookie sheet & slide it out real quick. So it crumbles. But if you pack it into a design & them turn it over onto the cookie sheet you have a better chance of success.

  21. Oops, ran out of typing space from phone. So, All Sorts of designs could works if you can pack the sugar into them. So funnnn! <3

  22. These are A W E S O ME !!!
    I am doing it.

  23. Jann Olson says:

    I absolutely love these Vanessa! Pinning and can’t wait to try it for my next party. Where do you buy edible glitter? So fun!
    hugs,
    Jann

  24. Carrie says:

    Hello Queen Vanessa! I have been wanting to try these for some time now! I will now, you made it much more interesting than what I’ve seen! I love the idea of the edible glitter and spices and such.. mmmm vanilla!!!!
    One question, do you have to keep them covered or can you let them just be out in a display until you need to use them?!
    Hope your having a great summer so far! I know I didn’t have time for the tea party, but I can’t wait until it’s here!!!
    So for the chatter, seems like I haven’t talked to you in a LONG time!
    take care!
    xo

  25. Victoria says:

    Hi Vanessa, I e-mailed you via your AOL addie a couple of days ago, but I see my blog is still on the Mad Tea Partiers list. I’m so sad that I won’t be able to participate this year. Please take my blog, BRUSHSTROKES, off the list. I’m hoping you’ll see this …
    Thanks, Victoria

  26. Christina says:

    Love these- Too adorable to eat!

  27. Dear Vanessa,
    I’m sad and sorry to say I have to bow out of the magical fun tomorrow. Things are just conspiring against me right now, and what I wanted to do has just fallen through.
    I am still looking forward to seeing your (always) wonderful post, and to visit the other participants. I’m sure it will be a hoot!
    Hugs

  28. Marilyn says:

    What a great idea!
    Just to let you know my Mad Tea Party is up a day early. Come on by: http://www.heartsdelights.blogspot.com

  29. Irina says:

    Magical Vanessa….this is sooo beautiful and brilliant! And as I was reading, my mind kept thinking rosewater…and so I’m glad you mentioned the extracts..that would also be so fun!
    Sparkly tea….yes yes yes! I am looking forward very much to your Tea Party this year…yay… 🙂
    Love and Blessings,
    – Irina

  30. Oh wow! I love this idea, so magical indeed!~

  31. Emma says:

    Oh Vanessa, these are amazing!! I’m going to have to find out some pretty moulds to make these.
    Emma xx

  32. Marjorie says:

    Oh Vanessa these are SO lovely and fun!! Was it ever so curious drinking glitter!? tee hee! Thanks so much for sharing this tutorial, your a sweet-sugar-drop!! : )

  33. Jen says:

    This is truly a magical treat! The glitter in the tea! I love. I will try for sure! xo Jen

  34. Tome says:

    this are great!

  35. Raquel says:

    So clever! Love the glitter.

  36. Dena Millet says:

    Miss V,
    You are pure Magic!
    Xo

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