How to make your own
Candy Buttons!
With Easter right around the corner, and my daughter's 8th birthday falling on Easter this year we have been very crafty on a budget! My daughter is having a "Sweet Candy Shoppe" party with all of her friends (I'll post pictures of the candy buffet and homemade decorations later!)
I came across this recipe for homemade candy buttons on the Sandy Toes and Popsicles blog and just had to see for myself if they really turned out that cute....I have to say they REALLY did!! I'm very impressed! It was easy and exremely budget friendly.
Keep reading to see how they turned out!
Here's what you need:
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder OR 2 egg whites
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract or lemon juice
- 1 box (1 pound) confectioners' sugar
- ziploc sandwich baggies
- food coloring
- artificial flavoring (optional)
- Non-toxic paper
- Lots of patience!
Now you can start:
1) Cut non-toxic computer paper into 2 3/4" x 10” strips. (We used non-toxic scrapcooking paper so there's a cute design on the back!)
2) Whip together confectioners sugar, meringue powder OR egg whites, and lemon juice on low speed using a stand mixer for 1 minute, scrape bowl and continue to whip for 10 minutes on high speed. (We used egg whites...and here is my little Rylinn mixing up the ingredients! If you are going to have a "Candy Shoppe" party you really have to make some of your own candy right? You could also do this as an activity at your party)
3) Divide “icing” into small bowls. Color each bowl different colors. If desired, add different flavorings to each.(I must say I do agree that these taste better than the candy buttons you buy at the store)
We used AmeriColor brand gel paste food color in:
- Electric Pink
- Lemon Yellow
- Sky Blue
- Electric Green
- Regal Purple
I LOVE these food coloring gels because you can really make any color you want and they turn out so vibrant!
4) If icing is too thick, thin out with drops of water, until it is the consistency of sour cream. A drop should hold its shape and slowly smooth out to create smooth button.
5) Pour each color into a sandwich bag and seal. (Placing the open baggie in a small cup and then pouring the icing in, is a great trick to keep things nice and clean). Then cut a VERY small corner off of each bag. (Here's my hand making Lemon Yellow buttons. Once you get started you can actually go pretty fast. I was worried it was going to take hours to perfect each little dot)
5) Pour each color into a sandwich bag and seal. (Placing the open baggie in a small cup and then pouring the icing in, is a great trick to keep things nice and clean). Then cut a VERY small corner off of each bag. (Here's my hand making Lemon Yellow buttons. Once you get started you can actually go pretty fast. I was worried it was going to take hours to perfect each little dot)
6) Squeeze a drop of icing at a time onto the paper. You can place the strip of paper on top of the template, you
will then see where to place each drop evenly. (I HIGHLY recommend using the template below! I did not use it and buttons were a little crooked. If you are a perfectionist like me you should definitely use it)
7) Place on baking sheets in a cool dry place uncovered to dry overnight. (Here are our candy buttons all over my kitchen haha! Overall we made 30 sheets in about and hour and a half)
8) Candy will harden overnight. Store in a zipper bag or
airtight container.
airtight container.
here is a printable template to help you make your buttons line-up straight. the directions are also included.
click here to download template
click here to download template
