At least 5 times a day, a customer comes in my store asking for the color GOLD! It is hot, hot, hot right now! But the answer… oh so complicated!
Many of the truly gold colored products out there are not technically edible. I personally have no problem eating a treat with a little gold, my guess is most of the food we eat is worse then this ‘non-toxic, non-edible’ product, but you have to make your own decisions on that.
Either way, I decided I wanted to put together some samples of the gold products that I have here in the store, so customers can see what they look like in action. This is in no way a scientific experiment! No Gold-ology degree here, just for fun and curiosity!
I used 4 different products, here is a little information about each one.
Rainbow Dust Click and Twist Brush in Light Gold: Very easy to use. The brush idea is a smart one. The color isn’t too bad either. After a few coats, the color was pretty smooth and consistent. This is an edible kosher product by the UK standards, however not FDA approved.
CK Imperial Gold (aka highlighter): Well, no doubt, the goldest gold. This is what you think of when you think gold. This can be applied dry on chocolate, or use with vodka to create a paste to paint on gumpaste/fondant. After 2-3 coats, the color is just gorgeous! This product is non-toxic, non-edible. For decoration use only. The amount of this product you actually use, is so small and probably fine, but you need to decide what is right for you and your customers.
Super Gold Luster Dust: I think probably best as an accent color, subtle color with sheen metallic-like finish. In the name of making something gold, maybe not the right product. This product is non-toxic, non-edible. For decoration use only. The amount of this product you actually use, is so small and probably fine, but you need to decide what is right for you and your customers.
Gold Glaze: This is a liquid product, so it’s a nice, convenient alternative to the dusts. Just give it a good stir, and paint it on. The bottle says it is good for fondant, so not sure if this would work well on chocolate. As for the color? Not great, not horrible. The glaze does seem to come out a bit streaky, even after several coats. And it does need some time to dry, stays tacky for quite a while. Good news? Gold Glaze is edible and kosher!
Here is a picture of these products. I used small gumpaste hearts to apply the golds, now you can see what they look like after 1 coat and again after 3 coats.
