This link leads to an external website that Ingenium does not control. Please read the third-party’s privacy policies before entering personal information or conducting a transaction on their site.
Ce lien mène à un site Web externe qu'Ingenium ne contrôle pas. Veuillez lire les politiques de confidentialité des tiers avant de partager des renseignements personnels ou d'effectuer une transaction sur leur site.
Make your very own edible version of the Ariane 5, the rocket model used to launch the iconic James Webb Space Telescope!
To make this tasty treat, follow the recipe and step-by-step instructions from award-winning pastry artist Catherine Beddall.
Rocket recipe
Tools
Piping bag and round tip OR a piping bag with a small hole cut in the tip
Small serrated knife
Ingredients
1 batch of homemade royal Icing (recipe below) OR store-bought royal Icing
Regular-sized ice cream cones
Graham crackers
Oreo cookies or other cream-filled sandwich cookies
Large digestive biscuits
Vanilla wafer cookies, cut in half width-wise
Assorted candy of your choice for decorating (i.e., small and large jujubes, candy canes, mini M&Ms, ringolos)
Decorating base (foil-covered cake board or plate)
You’ll need an assortment of cookies and candies to make your Ariane 5 Edible Holiday Rocket.
Preparation
Make royal icing (see recipe below) and set aside. Keep covered at all times when not using.
Using a serrated knife, cut an ice cream cup in half (see image). You’ll be using the ring part as the base for your rocket. Ask an adult for help with this step.By cutting an ice cream cone wafer in half, the bottom part can be used for the base of the rocket model.
Using a piping bag half-filled with royal Icing, decorate your graham cracker pieces. You can add more candy once the rocket is built, but it’s always easier to apply candies when your pieces are flat. Let them dry for an hour or so before you start assembling the rocket.Use royal icing to glue candy on to the graham cracker pieces.
Start assembling the parts of the rocket using Royal Icing. Pro tip: The best way to ensure that your rocket won’t topple over is to build it in sections! Let the sections dry for a couple of hours, and then finish stacking them.This is how each section of the rocket should look. Once all sections are pre-assembled, allow them to dry for several hours before putting them together.Pro tip: Don’t use too much icing when “gluing” your pieces together. Icing adds weight, and too much might cause your rocket to topple over.
On your decorating base, stack the sections, using royal icing to stick them together. Be sure to stick the bottom piece to your base.
Cut the corner off four graham crackers so that they resemble rocket fins. (Ask an adult for help with this step.) Using a thin line of icing on the edge of each piece, stick them to the sides of your rocket. Let dry for at least an hour.
Use your creativity to decorate your rocket and the surrounding base, using extra candy and icing.
Royal Icing Recipe
Ingredients
4 cups (1 L) icing sugar
3 tbsp (45 mL) meringue powder (available at Bulk Barn and stores with cake decorating materials)
8 tbsp (120 mL) water
Preparation
Sift together icing sugar and meringue powder.
Add water and beat at low speed until combined.
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, beat at high speed for five minutes or until icing forms soft peaks. Icing should be thick; if too thin, add a bit of icing sugar to thicken.
Cover immediately to prevent icing from drying out. Refrigerate for up to one month.
About Catherine Beddall
Catherine Beddall is a two-time winner of the Canadian National Gingerbread Championships, and placed second in the American National Gingerbread Competition in Asheville, North Carolina. She also competed on Holiday Gingerbread Showdown on The Food Network. Beddall has worked extensively behind the scenes on other television baking shows, and has provided gingerbread homes as props for many Hallmark holiday movies. Her first book, The Magic of Gingerbread, was published in 2017 to critical acclaim.
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum commissioned Beddall to create the James Webb Space Telescope and the Ariane 5 rocket out of gingerbread. Read more about her edible masterpieces in this feature article from the Ingenium Channel.