POM-POM DAHLIA

This variety of dahlia is known as a pom-pom for its round, fluffy structure. Dahlias are some of the most diverse flowers with hundreds of varieties and come in shades of white, red, pink, orange, yellow, purple, and combinations of these colors. The pom-pom dahlia is a playful addition to any buttercream arrangement, contributing lots of texture and interest.

BY LESLIE VIGIL

Excerpted from Buttercream Botanicals for Beginners: Simple Techniques for Creating Stunning Flowers, Foliage, and More by Leslie Vigil. Copyright 2022. Published with permission from Quarry Books.

LEVEL:

COMPONENTS

Edibles:

Buttercream

Equipment:

Piping bag #102 petal tip Flower nail

PIPE THE DAHLIA

1. Prepare a batch of your chosen shade of buttercream and fill a piping bag fitted with the #102 petal tip. Place the widest end of the piping tip in the center of the flower nail with the piping bag parallel with the flower nail. 2. Squeeze the piping bag and turn the flower nail to pipe a

ring. This will be a guide to help keep your dahlia round and provide a platform for the petal layers. 3. Starting on the outside of the ring, pipe a circle of short, arced petals, using the same technique as with the previous petals. Repeat several times to produce a complete circle, creating the first layer of petals. 4. Turn the flower nail and reposition the piping bag as in Step 1, with the widest end of the piping tip at the center of the petal ring. 5. Repeat Step 3, creating another set of petals on top of the first. Make the petal arcs shorter to produce a smaller, more narrow petal. Complete another ring of petals. 6. Continue making layers of

ringed petals until there are a total of 4 or 5 layers, with each layer being slightly smaller than the previous one to produce a domelike shape. 7. To finish the dahlia, deposit 5 to 6 small petals in the center. ACD

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