Mix the following ingredients using grease-free utensils.

• If using a hand-held mixer, use high speed.
• To soften full-strength Color Flow icing for filling in, add l/2 teaspoon of water a little at a time just a few drops as you near the right consistency for each l/4 Cup of icing until it becomes the right consistency. Stir in slowly by hand with grease-free utensils. Paste food colors work best and do not affect icing consistency. Liquid food color can be used if added before the final consistency is reached.

You'll need a flat, level and firm work surface. Use a 12 inch square of masonite or Plexiglas (for small pieces, stiff cardboard can be used). Trace your pattern onto a piece of parchment paper. Tape your traced pattern onto the work surface. Cover with waxed paper, smoothing out all of the wrinkles. Tape securely. This procedure is to be followed for each Color Flow pattern you choose to do.

Prepare your pattern as above, making sure waxed paper is smoothly taped over your pattern. Use a parchment bag fitted with tip 2. Hold the bag at almost a 90° angle. Touch tip lightly to the surface to attach the icing. Squeeze, following pattern outlines, lifting slightly above the surface, letting icing string drop in place. Do the heart in two steps: Attach the icing at one of the "points", lift and squeeze. Then reattach at the other point to complete one half. Do the same for the other half. To end a line, stop squeezing and pull tip away, making sure you reattach the icing to your starting point so there are no "breaks" in the string. This is important, because you will be filling in the design with softened Color Flow, and "breaks" will allow the Color Flow to leak out and ruin your decoration. When you attach icing outlines (circle, heart, etc.), do so by blending smooth with a slightly moistened decorator's brush (the heart should be in two sections from indentation to tip of heart).

If your outlines are flat or run together, your icing is too soft. Also, if you make the outlines with one continuous line, instead of two, the top indentation will appear curvy instead of a nice sharp intersection. If your outline isn't quite smooth enough, you may not have attached the lines together. If you overlap one end on top of the other you won't get the look of a continuous line. Instead, attach icing string end to end. Then use a moistened decorator's brush to smooth and blend the lines together before they dry. The outline may look uneven and disjointed if you have "drawn" it (tip touching the surface) instead of dropping it on (tip held above the surface). Also, top lines should connect to form a point so the fill-in icing won't run out. Finally, the bottom point of the heart should be smoothed using a slightly moistened decorator's brush. You should wait for outlines to set for one or two hours (if fill-in color is different) before adding thinned fill-in icing.

You need to really keep wax paper or plastic wrap or acetate taunt or it will buckle.

Let Color Flow decorations air dry thoroughly for at least 48 hours. Or dry with a heat lamp 2 feet away for 2 hours, then air dry for 12 hours. The heat lamp method also produces a high shine to your Color Flow piece. If there is a high level of humidity, allow extra drying time.

To remove a Color Flow piece from waxed paper, place it near the edge of a table or other firm, level surface. Use your one hand to hold the paper firmly, yet gently, on the table. Slide the piece slowly over the table's edge while you carefully pull half of the waxed paper down and away from the Color Flow decoration with the other hand. Turn the Color Flow piece around. Again, begin to remove the remaining waxed paper, placing one hand under the piece to prevent it from falling off of the table.

After your Color Flow heart is dry, you may want to add a message or trim it with dots. I add the message after the heart has crusted briefly. Use your leftover Color Flow icing you used for outlining (dark pink) in a parchment bag fitted with tip 2. Print or write a special message or add decorations on the top of the heart.This way the lines sink into the flow icing adding a special look.

To make a stand-up Color Flow design, outline and fill-in both sides of the Color Flow piece. Be sure to let the front dry at least 48 hours before starting the back, or wet icing on back may seep through to soften the front. Then, dry another 48 hours. Simply attach a wooden ice cream stick to the back of the dried Color Flow design so it will stand up on a cake. Secure the stick to the Color Flow with a dab of royal icing or full-strength Color Flow and let dry. Insert into cake top or side.

To make curved Color Flow decorations for a curved cake side or top, tape the pattern and waxed paper onto the curved surface of the cake pan. Then follow the basic Color Flow outlining and filling in procedures. For Color Flow holly or ivy leaves use the outside curves of the flower formers. Because the leaves are small, use tip 1 to outline.

To prop a Color Flow decoration on a cake top, simply place on top of several dabs of icing or use sugar cubes dabbed with icing to hold the Color Flow piece in place. If you plan to remove the Color Flow piece for a keepsake, lay the Color Flow flat on the cake top over a silhouette of saran wrap cut to fit piece. Remove Color Flow piece before cutting cake.

• When mixing Color Flow icing, set mixer at low speed to avoid whipping in too much air.
• If using a hand-held mixer, use high speed.
• Make Color Flow icing one or two days ahead of time so air bubbles rise to top, then re-blend by hand using figure-eight motions.
• Remember to test the icing for correct consistency.
• Only use parchment bags.
• Use grease-free utensils when preparing Color Flow.
• Any bit of grease will break down the icing - Just like grease affects royal icing.
• Use full strength icing for outlining and overpiping, softened Color Flow for filling in.
• Use paste food colors for tinting Color Flow. They won't thin the icing.
• Never fill your parchment bag over one-half full of icing.
• Color Flow crusts within minutes so work rapidly.
• Color Flow dries hard within 1 or 2 hours.
• Thorough drying time requires about 48 hours depending on humidity.
• Dry it more quickly with a heat lamp 2 feet away for 2 hours, then air dry for 12 hours. (This method produces a high shine to the Color Flow piece.)
• Let outlines dry for 1 or 2 hours before filling in or they will "feather'' when softened Color Flow is added.
• If a number of colors are being used, do all of the sections of one color first, before starting on the next.
• If placing Color Flow on a frozen cake-let the cake defrost for 6 to 8 hours to be certain it is dry.
• Moisture will break down your Color Flow decoration very quickly.
• If you use color-flo rather that regular royal icing, your lace pieces will dry harder and you will have a lot less breakage. (Color-flo IS essentially royal icing. But it just dries much harder).
• For pictures flowed in directly on the iced cake, you could use regular royal icing, since you won't need to worry about the piece breaking...PROIVIDING YOU DO USE A STURDY BOARD FOR THE CAKE!

Fill a pastry bag less than half full with medium consistency color-flo icing. Pipe tip 1 lace pieces following your pattern.

• Icing: softened, 1/4 cup tinted light pink
• Tip: none, simply trim off two parchment bags about 1/16th inch slightly above surface
• Tools: decorator's brush, straight pin, two half-full parchment bags ready when flowing in large areas
• Positions-Bag: 45° clock position changes depending on what shape is being filled in

SEQUENCE:

1. Fill bags half full of icing; squeeze, pressing out icing gently.
2. Outline with full strength color-flow, let dry.
3. set aside to dry in safe place
4. Begin filling in along the outlines first, squeezing gently, letting icing flow up to the outline almost by itself.
5. Fill in the entire heart immediately-working from the outside in, top to bottom.
6. Work all edges so that no edge has time to form a "crust".
7. Check for any low spots and fill in, working quickly, as Color Flow should dry with a slight pillow effect.
8. If the center of the heart is not smooth, it could be caused by allowing an area to dry too much before filling in with more icing, or you didn't complete it at one time.
9. If there are tiny air bubbles in the heart, you could have whipped too much air into your icing by beating it at too high of a speed. Prick any bubbles with a pin while the icing is still wet.
10. Then, set aside to dry.

• Put 1 egg white in a medium-sized bowl (if yolk gets in its ruined!)
• Add SIFTED confectioners' sugar gradually. It should be 'soupy' consistancy at first. (Probably about 1 cup)

• Parchment triangles HERE
• Toothpicks
• Damp dishcloths

Known as run ins, floodwork and color flow.
This technique can be used in many areas of cake decorating, for designs both large and small. Anything from a regimental badge or a swan to a three-dimensional picture can be created in run outs.
   A basic run out consists of an outline of royal icing which is piped around a tracing of the required design. Then the inside area is flooded with icing which is thinned to flow smoothly. The icing will dry with an attractive sheen on the surface. Once the icing has dried the run out can be used to decorate a cake or plaque. Many complicated designs can be produced using this technique. Try a simple run out first, such as a heart or perhaps a butterfly. Don't attempt anything too intricate or a design with narrow areas.

Stages in Making Run Outs
   The Design: Prepare a clear drawing. Cover this with paper that will peel off easily once the icing is dry - non-stick paper or wax paper. Cut the paper only slightly bigger than the drawing. Unnecessarily large paper can be a hindrance as a quick movement can catch the excess paper and break the run out. Stick the paper over the drawing with dots of icing or masking tape. Adhesive tape can be awkward to use. Place the drawing on a completely flat surface, preferably a piece of glass which will attract warmth and allow the icing to dry quickly.
   The Outline: Use a small bag with a fine writing tip. Keep the joins in the piping neat - they should lie against each other, not overlap. Flood in the area immediately. If the outline is left to dry it can break.
   Flooding: Place the flooding icing in a small or medium bag. Cut a small hole in the tip of the bag to regulate the amount of icing flowing out and break any air bubbles in the icing. Air bubbles weaken the run out. Keep the tip of the bag down in the flooding icing to ensure a smooth finish and to fill all corners. If necessary, use a fine paint brush to gently ease the icing into difficult corners.
   Drying: To obtain a glossy run out, dry it under the heat of a desk lamp with a flexible arm, in the sun or in a warm area. Stand the piece of glass up on small blocks to allow the air to circulate around the work. The drying time depends on the thickness of the run out and the consistency of the icing as well as the temperature of the room. Allow two days for the work to dry.
   Making Stand-up Run Outs: Once dry, turn the run out over on its flooded side, pipe the outline and flood in the reverse side. Both sides will then be smooth and curved. If the piping bag used for outlining is made of silicone paper, simply place the whole bag in a polythene bag, seal and keep overnight.

Quick Tip A stronger run out can be made by outlining and flooding the icing on a base of dry Pastillage.

   Direct Run Outs: With some practice run outs can be outlined and flooded directly on the surface of a cake. This is a quick method which avoids breakage’s.
   Curved Run Outs: You may want curved run outs to place on the side of a round cake. They can be made by securing the run out on a curved surface immediately it has been flooded. Apply overhead heat at once to crust the icing over before it starts to run outside the lines.

Secrets of Success The icing should be of a consistency to just flood evenly. Do not pipe too thick a layer within the outline.

   Figures, Crests and Pictures: To obtain a three-dimensional effect this type of run out is flooded in sections. Color and thickness combine to give an impression of depth or to highlight separate areas. Leave the icing in each section to dry on the surface before attempting to flood an adjacent area. Figures can be made to look realistic by making the icing thicker in parts which would be nearer the onlooker, such as an arm or front leg which would be thicker than a back leg. These areas can be overpiped and flooded a second time once dry.
   Lettering: Making run-out letters takes away the worry of having to pipe them directly on the cake. Large, clear letters are ideal for children's cakes. The dry letters are attached to the cake with small dots of icing.
   Piping Gel: A piped chocolate or royal icing outline worked on the cake can be flooded with softened piping gel.
   Chocolate Run Outs:Chocolate can be thickened (see piping chocolate*) and piped from a small bag. Use dark chocolate for the outline and flood in with a contrasting milk chocolate.

Secrets of SuccessFlood the chocolate on paper with a shiny surface and it will set with a sheen set on matte paper the chocolate run out will be dull.

Simple, yet sophisticated, run outs can be made by flooding with dark chocolate and immediately flooding in light chocolate. Swirl or feather the two types of chocolate with a cocktail stick or the tip of a knife.

Prepare color-flow in a thin to medium consistency. Don't make it too thin - (not like when you have it to flow), but not stiff either. Since you are using tips with very small openings, the icing will be more workable if not stiff. Have a tray that won't bend. I make good cheap trays using cake cardboards. A cake cardboard covered with plastic wrap is perfect. Drape plastic wrap over the top of the cardboard, stretch smooth and tight, then use masking tape underneath.

1.Place the pattern on the cardboard.
2. Tape wax paper over pattern on a flat surface and secure with small pieces of tape just enough to secure the wax paper. DON'T lap the wax paper over underneath the surface.
3. If lace, etc., has a straight line where it joins the cake, pipe that line first, then rest of pattern. Pipe pattern, let lace pieces dry, uncovered, a few hours or overnight.
4. Remove piece(s) from paper with a fine spatula and with fingers.

1. Do the color-flow picture on the cake
2. Pipe tip 1 stringwork on cake sides
3. Pipe tip 1 cornelli lace over the rest of the cake top and on sides where there is no stringwork
4. Add a tiny tip 2 or 3 bubble border around the heart and BEFORE icing dries, add pre-made lace points.
5. Pipe tip 18 curved shell top border
6. Pipe tip 21 pull-up shell bottom border and over-pipe tip 1 string loops

TIP: If made ahead, I would place plastic wrap under the picture or on sugar-cube blocks, glued on with royal icing, for easy removal.

DIRECTIONS:

COLOR-FLO "LITTLE INDIANS": (PATTERN HERE) Make ahead & dry 3-4 days, or make directly on cake.

MAKING MARZIPAN FRUITS BY HAND OR IN MOLDS: Divide dough and color as desired for fruits or veggies. Roll a piece into a ball using the palms of your hands. Press into a mold; unmold. Add a stem and "blush" (on apples, peaches, bananas, etc.).

TIPS: Add a clove as a stem for peaches, oranges, etc. Add our strawberry stems in strawberries. Mix powdered coloring with white petal dust to fade the color more pale and realistic.
TO DECORATE CAKE: Ice cake: I use butter icing (made w/Butter Flavored Crisco), Spread on a big yellow "moon." Pipe a tip 2 brown "teepee." Add the "Little Indians," marzipan fruits, vegees and color-flo picture on cake.

Add a message. "Happiness is a wonderful Thanksgiving." OR "Happiness is … my marriage" The "little Indians" pattern is also great for a new home cake theme..."Happiness is a new teepee"

HINTS FROM EARLENE :

In one of the first professional classes I took many years ago I learned the background story behind the color-flo mix. This teacher had worked for Wilton's when it first started and she suggested that they put the run sugar technique in the beginner classes. Mr. Wilton said no. To teach it in class - they needed to be able to sell a product. Therefore the color-flo mix was created and then that technique was included in the classes.

This is the recipe I use. Basically the same royal icing with a fresh egg white, lemon juice and pwd sugar till you arrive at the consistency you need. When you drop a little of this icing into the bowl it should go flat at a moderately slow count of 10. If it is a little too thick - thin it with lemon juice. Not water.

Prepare your pattern. Place it under a sheet of wax paper taped tight but keeping the wax paper very flat. Leave one edge open to move the pattern if it is necessary. I put a handle to one side of the pattern with masking tape. Now it can be slipped out and you can do a duplicate design for back up. Take a strip of masking tape about 6" long and attach about 3/4" to one edge on the back. Take about 3 inches and fold back the tape sticky side to sticky side to form a flat handle. I use this type of handles on all of the lace point patterns and color flow patterns that I use.

First outline your design. Let that dry and then begin flowing in the colors. You want that flow in to be puffy and very full looking - but be careful not to overflow your outlines. I always use a parchment bag for the flow in. Make your bag with a tight point and fill approximately half full. Cut a small tip from the end. You want it small so you can control where that icing goes. Into the corners, in those small areas of your design and the small opening also pops air bubbles that might be trapped in your icing. Using a toothpick pop any air bubbles that might appear and pull icing into tiny areas that don't fill up. When you are working with flow in you want to continually keep freshening your wet edge. Moving from side to side or area to area. Don't let a dry line form in your design. If you have a very large area to flow in you may need to fill more than one bag with that particular color. If you stop to make another bag of icing you will have dry lines. Fill as many bags as you think it will take to do that one color in that one area before you start flowing in that area.

For each color in your design make several puddles with left over icing about the size of a quarter for test puddles. When you begin wondering if your design is dry - you check one of these test puddles. This helps prevent you from breaking your design by trying to peal off the wax paper prematurely.

If these pieces are dried under a heat lamp they will have a surface with more shine. If you dry these pieces in a hot dehydrator you will have a dickens of a time getting the wax paper off of the back of the design. (voice of experience - I never got it all off) I now dry them in a cool dehydrator - that works in speeding up the drying process and doesn't melt the wax on the wax paper.

THE RUN SUGAR TECHNIQUE is something we all need occasionally to fill a need for a cake design. Texas Tech is one of the universities here in town. I get many requests to do the double t logo on grooms cakes. When I make up the red and black icing to do just this design - I make enough mixture to do around a dozen of them. After they are dry they will keep for an extended period of time and it makes my work easier when I need one of them. I just pull open the drawer and use one that is already made.

CAKES THAT NEED A RAISED DESIGN SUCH A FISH SWIMMING WITH A WATER AND GREENERY BACKGROUND.
The fish can be done from the run sugar way ahead of time (when you have the time) and raised in several heights off of the top of the cake to give more dimension to your fish scene.

PUPPIES, KITTIES, FROGS, FIRECRACKERS, FLAGS, PUMPKINS, AND ETC.
Clip art and color books are a good source for designs.

IDEA: One of the cute stand up ideas I have seen done with the run sugar technique is Christmas trees. You draw 1/2 of a tree and make 6 or 8 of these. Let them dry, peal them from the wax paper, turn them over and run them on the back carefully. You can do this without outlining again if you are very careful. Begin flowing in about a 1/4 inch away from the edge and with a damp paint brush encourage the wet icing just to the edge being careful not to let it go over the edge. This does take a little more time and patience. But you have a neater edge when it dries.

After they are totally dry you can add additional leaves made with the 349 or 352, small flowers, pkgs, and etc. String work from one section to another. Add fondant teddy bears at the base. Get creative with this and do something fun. You could add tiny run sugar butterflies, tiny sugar bells, stars painted with the metallic gold, snowflakes, wet white icing sprinkled with pwd sugar for snow and on and on and on. These could be done in the next few months when we have a little slower cake order time. Way ahead for Christmas orders. Put them in a blanket box to preserve them completely done and let your customers choose from the tree selection for their cake. Pre done - pre priced and ready for that Christmas rush.

DO BUTTERFLY WINGS WITH THE RUN SUGAR. Do just the shape and the lightest background color. After the wings are dry - paint on the detail with a mixture of vodka and food color. Let them dry again and pipe the body from black royal and prop the wings up and leave until completely dry. You can do all of the detail with the run sugar colors but this takes me longer and i don't like the finished effect near as well as painting the detail on later. One of the advantages of run sugar is that you can insert a toothpick or sucker stick in the base of your design and support those pieces you want to have free standing on your cake. Heavy pieces may require two or even three support sticks.

I had a couple who wanted a LOGO FOR A CHURCH CAMP put on his grooms cake in gold. The logo was of a running deer with trees enclosed in an oval. I did a 1/2" by 3" strip solid at the base for support (and so I could insert the toothpicks) and piped the deer so it had more muscle detail, flowed in the trees and the piped oval outline with a #4 tip. It measured about 6 inches long and about 4 inches tall. A very fragile design because the deer and trees were barely connected to one another and the oval outline was not connected to anything on the top 1/3 of the design. I made two and prayed that once they were painted with the gold they would still be strong. I did break the first one. But the second one worked. I warned the caterers and people working at the reception to not touch that sugar piece. When they see that gold - sometimes they think it is not sugar and want to touch. You have to let them know when you have something that is super fragile.

This is a wonderful, simple sugar medium that you can really do neat things with. Enjoy it and get creative. 

Shavkin: Place the drawing underneath the rice paper and pipe using piping gel or trace using a felt-tip (non-toxic) pen. Tape the drawing that is on the paper to the work surface so that it doesn't move.

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