Episode Details

How do you put edible glitter on cake pops, and what does it cost per batch? Timing first, because it is free: the coating does the work. Freshly dipped, still-warm coating grabs flake glitter with no adhesive at all — the widest application window in the category — so flake goes on in the seconds after the dip, while the shell is wet and glossy, inside a motion you are already making. Once the shell has set, luster dust goes on as a second pass with a soft dry brush, and never on a pop that has been in the fridge, because refrigerated chocolate carries condensation that ruins a dusted finish. So the line is dip, set, chill, bring the trays out to dry, brush, box. On cost, the honest part: nobody has published a per-pop figure, and the only serving printed on the listings is the drinks one, 0.1 grams. A bakery weighs the jar before and after the first dozen and has its own number by the end of the first tray. Then it buys by the gram — the 15 gram luster dust at $14.99 is about $1.00 a gram, the cheapest gram in a single colour — and the listing's business quantity ladder starts at 2 jars. In this episode: - The dip window, and why flake is cheaper in labour while dust is cheaper in powder - Chill first, dust second: the fridge rule on a production line - Dana's winning round: the number nobody could give the bakery, and how to measure it - The per-gram board and the quantity ladder - The three-part documentation request for a corporate client Who should skip it: pops wrapped while the coating is soft, kitchens that cannot schedule chill-then-dust, and six-colour orders. MONÉGASQUE 15 gram luster dusts are on Amazon at $14.99 standard; check the listing for current pricing. Full transcript on the episode page. New questions answered every week at The Monégasque Table.