Episode Details

Why isn't my edible glitter sticking? Almost always the surface, not the glitter — and you were about four minutes late. Shimmer powders adhere best to icing that is still wet and glossy. Once a surface has set and dried it takes far less, and the rest ends up on the counter. The pigment is almost insoluble in water, chemically stable and heat-stable: it never dissolves into a surface or becomes part of it, so it only stays where something holds it mechanically. That makes sticking entirely a surface question — and it means there are three methods, not one, with the right method decided by the surface you already have. In this episode: - The rule that fixes it: sprinkle wet, brush dry, paint when you want it exactly somewhere - Dana's winning round: "wet and glossy" and "dry-brush a set surface" are opposite instructions — here's why both are true - The clear high-proof spirit method, and why alcohol rather than water - Why chocolate drinks the powder — 70 to 90 grams of oil per 100 grams — and comes out softer - Fine dust at 5 to 25 microns versus flakes at 50 to 500, and which techniques each one can actually do - Why working from a dish instead of the jar protects the jar Who should skip it: anyone whose flakes already stick to wet icing — and anyone whose jar has gone solid, which is a storage problem no technique fixes. MONÉGASQUE Gold luster dust, 7 g, is on Amazon at $9.99 standard — the fine-particle format for brushing and painting; check the listing for current pricing. Full transcript on the episode page. New questions answered every week at The Monégasque Table.