Some completed subtleties

I will be quite busy over the next week or so, so I will go back to posting pictures of items that are already completed. Here are some photos of sugar plate and marzipan subtleties that I have made.....

A sugar plate cat that was filled with marzipan fish

Subtleties or 'soltelties' were illusion foods designed to astonish and amuse guests. They were very popular at feasts and were a demonstration of wealth and prestige as well as a way of honouring guests. There are many accounts of amazing illusion foods being presented at feasts in the sixteenth century. I prefer to focus on sweet subtleties with components like sugar plate, marzipan, toffee and gingerbread.

Sugar plate for the Mongol Feast

A sugar plate flower

Putti plate surrounded by sugar strawberries and bay leaves

This one suffered a bit of damage and got cracked

Marzipan strawberries

The mystical SpiderPig, made from marzipan and sugar plate

One of my first subtleties - A 'silly bub' in syllabub for a Fool's Feast

And for the same feast, a fruit fool in a jester's hat of marzipan