You will need

This recipe makes an enormous amount, but it tends to all get eaten.

• 3 tsp gum tragacanth
• 2 tsp lemon juice (about ½ a lemon)
• 1 tbsp rosewater (not the concentrated stuff in oil – or if that’s all you can get, use about ½ a tsp of that and 2 ½ tsp water)
• 500-600g icing sugar
• 1 small egg white

Method

Steep the gum tragacanth overnight in the lemon juice and rosewater until it forms a thick paste.

Sieve the icing sugar, and put 500g of it in a bowl. Add the gum tragacanth.

Beat the egg white to break it up and add most of it. Mix to form a malleable, mouldable, paste. If it’s too dry or too wet, use the leftover egg white and remaining sugar to adjust it.

Use a little at a time, storing the remaining paste in a beeswax wrap covered with a damp cloth to stop it drying out.

Dust your surface with a mixture of icing sugar and cornstarch (cornflour) to ensure it does not stick, and working quickly, use the paste to roll and cut out shapes. You could make plates, pieces of architecture to join up to make buildings, or anything else you fancy. Colour as desired*.

Leave to dry on silicon or greaseproof paper spread with a layer of icing sugar and starch for at least 12 hours in a warn, dry place.

*For historical accuracy, don't use blue: a stable and edible blue colouring wasn't available in the 17^th century.