{Recipe} Marshmallow Fondant

Hey guys! Have you ever tasted a cake with fondant icing and was like about to barf?! That would be the commercial stuff that taste like plastic and rubber. Seriously who came up with that to put and a scrumptious cake? Why would anyone mess up a great cake recipe with that nasty fondant?

Good news is that there IS a great tasting fondant out there. Actually, there is 2. One is by Satin Ice and the other is Marshmallow fondant that you can make at home. It behaves just like the regular fondant, only tastes so much better. The possibilities are endless when making decorations.

Here it is on this Spiderman cake I made for my nephew. (just the decor. The cake is iced with white buttercream icing)

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 ounces) white mini marshmallows (use a good quality brand)
• 2-5 tablespoons water
• 2 pounds (about 8 cups) sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

Makes about 2 pounds marshmallow fondant.

Instructions:

To make marshmallow fondant, place marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds on high; stir until mixed well. Continue microwaving 30 seconds more; stir again. Continue until melted (about 2 1/2 minutes). (I usually grease my bowl and spatula before working things will get STICKY)

Place 3/4 of the confectioners' sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mixture. Fold sugar into marshmallow mixture. Flavoring can be added at this point if desired. Place solid vegetable shortening in easily accessed bowl so you can reach into it with fingers as you are working. Grease hands and counter GENEROUSLY; turn marshmallow mixture onto counter. Start kneading like you would dough. Continue kneading, adding additional confectioners' sugar and re-greasing hands and counter so the fondant doesn't stick. If the marshmallow fondant is tearing easily, it is too dry; add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time) kneading until fondant forms a firm, smooth elastic ball that will stretch without tearing, about 8 minutes. (NOTE: you can actually use your mixer with a dough hook to do this part - just grease the qt bowl and the dough hook really good)

It's best to allow Marshmallow Fondant to sit, double-wrapped, overnight. Prepare the fondant for storing by coating with a thin layer of solid vegetable shortening, wrap in plastic wrap and then place in resealable bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Marshmallow Fondant will keep well in refrigerator for several weeks.

When not working with fondant, make sure to keep it covered with plastic wrap or in a bag to prevent it from drying out. When ready to use, knead fondant until smooth. Roll out fondant 1/8 in. thick.

To color fondant: If you need to tint the entire batch of fondant, add a little icing color to the melted marshmallow mixture before adding confectioners' sugar. For smaller amounts of tinted fondant, add icing color to portions of fondant as needed.

Begin to knead the portion of fondant just like you did before. As you work it, you will begin to see streaks of color coming through from the center. Continue to knead until the streaks are gone and the fondant is a uniform color. Your fondant is now ready to be used or stored as outlined above.