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Homemade Sprinkles - Rainbow sprinkles
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Homemade Sprinkles

Course Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutes

Equipment

  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Clay extruder (optional)
  • Piping bags, tips (e.g., #2 Wilton tip), and coupler

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (220g) powdered sugar, sifted (larger amount)
  • ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar, sifted (smaller amount)
  • ¼ tsp (1.8g) salt
  • 1 large (30g) egg white
  • 1 tsp (4.7g) vanilla extract
  • 1-3 tsp (5.5-16.5g) water
  • Food coloring (optional)
  • Extracts (optional)

Instructions

Making the Homemade Sprinkle Mixture

  • Place the larger amount of powdered sugar, egg white, salt, and vanilla into a medium bowl set over a pot of simmering water (i.e., a double boiler).  Stir the ingredients together with a silicone spatula to form a paste.  Continue stirring until the mixture reaches 150°F/65°C on an instant-read thermometer. 
  • Remove the bowl from the double boiler and pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can keep it in the double boiler bowl and beat with a hand mixer).  Use the paddle attachment to beat in the remaining “smaller amount” of powdered sugar until the mixture is fluffy and smooth.  The sprinkle mixture should be a thick paste.  Almost like soft playdoh. 
  • This mixture is essentially a royal icing using fresh egg whites instead of meringue powder (essentially dried egg whites).  My royal icing recipe would be perfect for making these sprinkles as well.  You have two options at this point:

Option 1

  • Use the paste as-is to make sprinkles that hold a 3-D shape very well.  This sprinkle will stay round on all sides.  Because the paste is stiff, you will NOT be able to pipe it.  Use a clay extruder to pipe rounded strings.  Do not use an extruder that has previously had clay in it (even if you cleaned it).  It should only be one used exclusively for food decorating.

Option 2

  • Add small amounts of water at a time (e.g., ¼ tsp at a time) and mix until you have a thick pipeable consistency.  You want the mixture to be as thick as possible so that the sprinkle will hold its shape better and not flatten completely.  The texture should be similar to peanut butter (i.e., you can put a knife in and it will stay standing without leaning on the edge of the bowl). 

Coloring and Flavoring the Homemade Sprinkles

  • Regardless of the method you use, divide the sprinkle mixture into the desired number of colors and add food coloring and flavorings.  If all of your sprinkles have the same flavor, you can add the flavoring when mixing in the powdered sugar. 
  • Just a word to the wise, flavorings and food dyes can be VERY strong.  Too much can easily make something taste artificial or the color too dark.  Start with a few drops and add more if there isn’t enough.  You can always add more, but it can’t be removed once it’s mixed in. 
  • Mix in the colors until there are no remaining streaks.  Cover each bowl with plastic wrap until you're ready to use it.  This will keep the mixture from drying out. 

Using Clay Extruder to Make Homemade Sprinkles

  • To make sprinkles using the clay extruder, roll the paste into a log that is slightly smaller than the circumference of the extruder.  Push the log gently into the tube until it's almost full.  Add the die in the front (I used the one with a single small circle, but you can use whatever shape you want for your sprinkles).  Close the extruder and slowly push the paste through the hole to get a strip of extruded sprinkles.  I did this over a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. 
  • Continue this same process with all of the remaining colors.  I cleaned the extruder tube between colors to ensure there wouldn’t be any color bleeding.  It was as simple as wiping with a damp cloth.  Try not to let any of the sprinkle mixture dry while it’s in the extruder.  It’s easier to clean when it’s wet.  If any of the mixture dries in or on the tube, you can clean it by running the tube under hot water.  The water will melt the sugar in the tube and then you can wipe it clean. 

Piping Sprinkles

  • If you chose to thin the icing, then place each sprinkle color into its own piping bag.  You can choose to use piping tips or you can cut a small hole in the tip of the bag. 
  • Pipe the sprinkles in straight lines (or your desired shape) onto a sheet of parchment paper.  I like to keep the parchment paper in a sheet pan so it’s easy to move the sprinkles while they’re drying.
  • If the mixture is flattening into a strip while piping, you can return the mixture to the bowl and add a small amount of powdered sugar to thicken it. 

Drying the Sprinkles

  • Allow the sprinkles to dry at least overnight (i.e., 8 hours).  They might require less time or more time depending on the amount of moisture in the mixture.  Do not use the sprinkles until they have dried completely. 

Storing Sprinkles

  • Gather the “sprinkle sticks” and cut them into the desired size. 
  • Place the finished sprinkles into an airtight container.  The sprinkles will keep for at least a year at room temperature.