by BAKING OBSESSION
If you’ve never worked with the fondant before, then disregard my criticism above and buy a small package. Do not use it on your cake, but get a feeling of the right density and texture. The fondant should be “soft but firm”, if it makes any sense. I learned from my own mistakes, and don’t want you to repeat mine. First recipe I used called for the exact amount of icing sugar to be incorporated. So, I trustfully kneaded it all into my fondant. That fondant ended up in the garbage bin. It was too dry and stiff to work with. The icing sugar quantity should vary; it depends on the weather conditions. Sometimes, I have a couple of ounces of icing sugar left over; other days I use it all.
The recipe below is adapted from Toba Garrett.
Makes a little bit over 2 pounds, enough to decorate a 9 to 10-inch cake
Ingredients:
- Up to 2 lbs confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tbsp (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin
- ¼ cup cold water
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 1 tbsp glycerin
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract (if you need a snow-white color, use a clear vanilla extract (unfortunately, it’s artificial))
- ½ tsp white vegetable shortening
Preparation:
Sift 1 ½ pounds of the confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and set aside. Transfer the rest of the confectioners’ sugar into the sieve and set aside as well.
Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water in a liquid measuring cup or in a medium bowl. Let it stand for two minutes to soften. Place the bowl into a saucepan with barely simmering water until the gelatin dissolves, or microwave for 15 seconds on High (the time depends on the power of the microwave; the gelatin should be melted but not boiled ). Do not overheat.
Stir in the corn syrup, glycerin, and the vanilla extract. Return to the microwave and reheat for another 15 seconds on High. Stir again. The mixture should be smooth and clear.
Pour the glycerin mixture into the well in the icing sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. The mixture will be very sticky.
Sift some of the remaining icing sugar over a non-stick silicone mat and transfer the sticky fondant from the bowl onto the mat. Sift a little bit more icing sugar over the fondant and start to knead. Wear disposable gloves if you have them. Or, better yet, plan ahead and buy the gloves before you start. Gradually add more icing sugar as you knead; use a plastic/silicone pastry scraper to lift the fondant that sticks to the mat. You aim to get a smooth, pliable mass; firm but soft. Rub the vegetable shortening into your palms and knead it into the fondant. This relieves the stickiness of the fondant.
Wrap the fondant tightly in plastic wrap twice, then place in a plastic bag. Allow the fondant to rest for 24 hours before using. I can’t confirm a long storage life since I always use it within 2 or 3 days; I store it at room temperature.
Basic Fondant
Recipe from: The All New, All Purpose Joy of Cooking
by Marion Rombauer Becker
Makes 1 1/4 pounds
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1 cup water
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3 cups sugar
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1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
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powdered sugar
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Bring water to a boil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat, add, and stir in sugar until dissolved. Return the pan to the heat and bring to a boil. Sprinkle with cream of tartar.
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This may make the syrup boil up, so be ready to stir with a long-handled wooden spoon. Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in warm water. Place a warmed candy thermometer in the pan and boil, uncovered and without stirring, until it reaches 234 degrees, the soft-ball stage.
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Meanwhile, sprinkle a marble slab or a baking sheet (inverted over a rack) with cold water. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the syrup onto the wet surface, without scraping the bottom of the pan. Let the syrup cool for 5 to 10 minutes. (If on a baking sheet, the mixture will be thicker and may take up to 30 minutes longer to cool.) When you can place your hand over the fondant and feel no heat rising, test a corner by touching it with a fingertip. If it holds the indentation, it is ready to work.
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Use a spatula, a candy scraper, or even a clean putty knife to work the syrup by lifting and folding, always from the edges to the center, then stir in a figure-8 pattern, pushing the fondant back out to the sides. When the mixture begins to turn white, dust your hands with powdered sugar, gather the mixture into a ball, then push it outward with the heel of your hand. Draw it back in with a candy scraper and repeat the process until the surface is smooth and creamy looking.
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After kneading the fondant, shape it into a ball and cover it with a damp cloth or paper towel. Tightly cover the ball with plastic wrap or place it in a sealable plastic bag. Let the fondant ripen in a cool place overnight; it gets better day by day. If not using it for several days, replace the damp cloth or towel whenever it dries out. To keep the fondant for several weeks or months, store it in the refrigerator. When ready to use the fondant, dust a work surface with powdered sugar.
To color fondant, place it on the work surface dusted with powdered sugar. Make several slashes in the mass and use a toothpick to dot in a few drops of food coloring paste. Knead and fold the mass to distribute the color evenly.To flavor fondant, work in the flavoring the same way. Use one of the following:
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1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla, almond extract, or rose or orange flower water
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3 to 5 drops oil of peppermint or anise oil
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1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, kirsch, framboise, or other liqueur
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2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon zest
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1/2 cup shredded sweetened dried coconut
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2 to 4 ounces bittersweet, semisweet, milk, or white chocolate, melted
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1/3 cup peanut or hazelnut butter
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1/2 cup almonds or walnuts, toasted and chopped
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1/3 cup finely chopped dried cherries, candied orange peel, or candied ginger
To shape fondant, make sure the mixture is at room temperature. Dust the work surface generously with powdered sugar.You may find it easier to work with only half of the fondant at one time. Form it into a long cylinder by rolling it on the work surface, then cut into candy-size pieces or mold it into shapes. To use fondant as coating, heat it in the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water. If it is too thick, add 1 tablespoon hot water at a time and stir until the proper consistency is reached. Be careful not to heat the fondant over 140 degrees or it will become too stiff.
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Usually I make my own too. But I don’t use glycerin and I use glucose instead of corn syrup
* honey is not a substitute for corn syrup, but liquid glucose is. The glucose can be found in a cake decorating store or in a regular pharmacy.
Vegetarians can try marzipan instead. It can be rolled, colored, hand-molded. It tastes better than even a home-made fondant. The cost is higher though… But the marzipan can also be made at home which would reduce the cost a bit.
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