Wilton Pearlized Sugar Sprinkles

Silver dragees are the small, shiny, jawbreaker-like balls that often adorn fancy looking cakes and cupcakes. They’re a type of sprinkle, made of sugar, but have a coating made of real silver to make them sparkle. They’re really beautiful sprinkles. You can’t buy them in California, since an activist’s lawsuit persuaded vendors not to ship dragees or sell them in the state, so many bakers – home and professional – have had to look for alternatives to the shiny little sprinkles.

One option I found on the baking aisle recently is Wilton’s Pearlized Sugar Sprinkles. These are round sprinkles, a tiny bit larger than your average dragee, that look like small pearls. They have an opalescent shine to them and, while they’re more white than silver, they still look very elegant. They’re made of sugar and are completely edible, but like most sprinkles, don’t taste like much on their own. I’ve been using them to dress up cupcakes and make the center of frosting flowers look a little more interesting.