Rolled Fondant From Scratch Food

ROLLED FONDANT

Steps:

• Combine gelatin and cold water; let stand until thick. Place gelatin mixture in top of double boiler and heat until dissolved.
• Add glucose and glycerin, mix well. Stir in shortening and just before completely melted, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Mixture should cool until lukewarm.
• Place 4 cups confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and using a wooden spoon, stir in the lukewarm gelatin mixture. Mix in sugar and add more a little at a time, until stickiness disappears. Knead in remaining sugar. Knead until the fondant is smooth, pliable and does not stick to your hands. If fondant is too soft, add more sugar; if too stiff, add water (a drop at a time). Use fondant immediately or store in airtight container in fridge. When ready to use, bring to room temperature and knead again until soft.

FONDANT

Steps:

• In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage, between 234 and 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Pour the mixture over a dampened marble slab. Sprinkle it with a little water to prevent a crust from forming and leave to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a triangular scraper work the sugar syrup scraping it from the slab and turning the sides to the center. Alternatively, work the fondant in an electric mixer with a dough hook. Work vigorously particularly when the fondant starts to thicken and become creamy. After 3 to 5 minutes it will suddenly become stiff. Break off one piece of fondant at a time and work it by pinching it hard in your fingers until pliable and smooth. Press all the pieces of pliable fondant together and knead in any flavoring or coloring. Pack into an airtight container and leave in the refrigerator or a cool place at least 1 hour, preferably 1 day to mellow.

MARSHMALLOW FONDANT

Steps:

• Place the butter in a shallow bowl, and set aside.
• Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff.
• Rub your hands thoroughly with butter, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with confectioners' sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with confectioners' sugar.

ROLLED FONDANT

Steps:

• Sprinkle gelatin over the water in a 2-cup heatproof glass measure and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Set into a small pan of simmering water and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
• (This can be done in a microwave on high for a few seconds).
• Blend in the glucose and glycerin, then add the shortening and stir until melted.
• Remove from heat.
• Place the sugar in a bowl and make a well in the center.
• Add the gelatin mixture and stir with a lightly greased wooden spoon until blended.
• Mix lightly with greased hand and knead vigorously in the bowl until most of the sugar is incorporated.
• Turn onto a smooth, lightly greased surface such as Formica or marble and knead until smooth and satiny.
• If the Fondant seems dry, add several drops of water and knead well.
• If it seems too sticky, knead in more powdered sugar.
• The Fondant will resemble a smooth, well-shaped stone.
• When dropped, it should spread very slightly but retain its shape.
• It should be malleable like clay, soft but not sticky.
• Rolled Fondant may be used at once but seems to work more easily when allowed to rest for several hours.
• It is important to keep Fondant covered to prevent it from drying.
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container.
• It will firm slightly upon standing.
• When ready to roll out, spray the work surface and rolling pin with nonstick vegetable spray.

ROLLED FONDANT

Steps:

• In a large bowl (do not use metal), sift the sugar and make a well in the center. In a small saucepan, add the water and sprinkle the gelatin on top to soften for about 5 minutes. Begin to heat the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is dissolved and clear. Do not boil. Turn off the heat and add the glucose and glycerine, stirring until well blended. Add the flavoring. Pour into the well of sugar, and mix until all of the sugar is blended. Use hands to knead icing until it becomes stiff. Add small amounts of confectioner's sugar if the mixture is sticky.
• Form the mixture into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in an airtight container. This icing works best if allowed to rest at room temperature for about eight hours before using, particularly if the weather is humid. Do not refrigerate.
• To cover a cake with fondant: Dust a clean pastry cloth, or a smooth, clean surface, with cornstarch and roll the fondant with a rolling pin until it is approximately 1/4 inch thick. Make sure that the fondant is large enough to fit over the top and sides of the cake. Slide both hands under the fondant and carefully center it on top of a cake that has been freshly iced with buttercream. (The icing makes the fondant adhere to the cake.)
• Dust your hands with cornstarch and smooth the fondant, starting at the top and working down the sides until the entire surface is even and flat. Cut off the excess icing around the bottom of the cake with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Decorate the cake with buttercream or royal icing. This fondant keeps a cake fresh for two days at room temperature. Do not refrigerate a cake with fondant icing.

ROLLED FONDANT FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan, over medium heat stir constantly until it reaches a rapid boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and uncover to let it cool.
• Large batches of this can be made and kept at room temperature for 2-3 months and used as a white corn syrup.
• Measure out ICE COLD water, sprinkle gelatin packs over the water - DO NOT STIR, place in refrigerator for 5 minutes until all of the gelatin has set.
• Set up a shallow pan of boiling water.
• Set your gelatin mixture dish into the boiling water (creates a double boiler) stir until the gelatin in dissolved.
• Blend in glycerin, gum paste, and shortening until melted.
• Remove from heat.
• Combine the gelatin mixture with the corn syrup mixture.
• Place the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
• Add the liquid mixture.
• Use a WELL GREASED WOODEN spoon to mix.
• Get plastic zip lock bags ready, spread out some wax paper or lightly grease a marble or Formica surface to kneed on.
• Remove all jewelry, GREASE your hands really good.
• Kneed vigorously in the bowl until all of the sugar is blended.
• Turn out on kneading surface and work the dough until it resembles a smooth, slightly shinny, well-shaped stone. When dropped it should spread out slightly but still retain it's shape. It should not crumble or crack. It should not be gooey or sticky anymore.
• If it is too sticky, add more powdered sugar.
• If it is too dry add a few drops of water.
• Divide into sections, create balls and put into plastic wrap to keep from drying out.
• Take out one section at a time, add food coloring (I use concentrated icing drops) and blend into the dough. Cover tightly and start working on next color. repeat as necessary.
• Now, to use the fondant - roll out to about 1/4 inch thick then mold, cut, shape - what ever you like.
• Use a layer of buttercream on cake, slightly crusted, then drape fondant and cut away the excess. Greased hands work wonderful to smooth the fondant out.
• Fondant seals in the moisture of a cake. Once it is refrigerated it is no longer flexible and easy to work with.