These days many parents find it hard to compete with the sculpted, fondant covered, professional looking cakes setting the new standard for nice cakes. Children and teens are seeing these cakes on television shows and on the internet more and more these days. These kids are requesting, if not expecting, to see them or something like them for birthdays, parties and so much more. Parents fear not. There is no reason you should shell out monstrous amounts of money on professionally made cakes, or even the crazy amount of $6 a pound for store-bought fondant, bland fondant. This Examine is going to show you how to save your sanity and budget by making your own home-made fondant.
Ingredients:
16 oz of mini marshmallows
2 lb confectioners (powdered) sugar
Microwave safe bowl
water (as needed).
Remove all your jewelry on your hands. Place mini marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl and sprinkle a few drops of water over them. Heat the marshmallows in the microwave at 30 sec intervals, stirring each time until they are completely melted. Cover your counter and your hands, with a fine layer of butter flavored Crisco, and then pour the marshmallows from the bowl onto the countertop. Cover the melted mess with ¼ of the bag of powdered sugar. Knead the marshmallows and sugar together adding sugar and drops of water as needed. Add the water when your fondant mixture seems to be drying and cracking. You will use the whole bag of powdered sugar in your fondant recipe. Continue to knead like bread until all the sugar is mixed in and the dough is pliable and non-sticky. At this point you can color and flavor your fondant with conservative amounts of food coloring and extracts such as almond extract, lemon extract, cocoa, butter extract, etc. The list of flavor and color possibilities are endless.
The fondant can then be wrapped in saran wrap and stored at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator indefinitely. If stored in the refrigerator or freezer, heat the fondant for about thirty to forty-five seconds in the microwave to make it pliable and ready to roll out.
To cover a cake with your fondant make sure you have a clean work surface. Dust your counter with powdered sugar. Do not use flour as it can alter the taste of your fondant. Roll your fondant out into a size or shape necessary to cover your cake. Be sure to have a coat of butter cream on the cake before you cover it in fondant so that the fondant will adhere to your cake. Place the fondant over your cake and smooth our creases with your hands. Cut off excess fondant with a pizza cutter and/or knife.
Happy Baking!
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