# Fatless rolled fondant icing



## joyce (Jun 29, 2004)

I live in Hungary and many ingredients available in the UK and USA are not available here. 
Ready-made fondant icing is one of them. OK – I can overcome that problem, I can make my own. I haven’t got the muscle power to make the continental fondant on a marble slab so to get a good rolling paste, Australian fondant icing is the best alternative I have come across. It gives a very pliable and smooth finish– but every recipe calls for white vegetable fat (I also use it in the recipe for the flower paste) – big problem – nothing like that here. Using white lard has been suggested but that is not sold here either – all lard has been rendered and has a strange smell and taste. Can anyone suggest a recipe that doesn’t use fat - one that would give a good result?


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

Hi Joyce,
Welcome to ChefTalk.
Do you have access to glycerine?


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## joyce (Jun 29, 2004)

Hi Momoreg,
Thank you for your welcome
Yes, fortunately I bought some glycerine and glucose syrup with me to use until I found supplies here.
Joyce


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

Rolled Fondant

2# confectioners sugar
1 TBL Gelatin
3 TBL Cold Water
1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup
1 1/2 TBL Glycerine
1 TBL Vanilla Extract

Glycerine can be obtained through the drug store, or 
www.cakedeco.com
www.nyckaesupplies.com
www.beryls.com
www.wilton.com

the above recipe is from "Cakewalk"
By Margaret Braun

we use many different sugar pastes in our work, I like to have the shortening to make the rolling easier form myself. Have you considered using Butter in place of the shortening? 
If you cannot get the glyerine, try to swap butter for the shortening in your formula.

Best.
m


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

Use mbrown's recipe. Some helpful hints: Bloom gelatin in cold water for 10 min. before melting, and make the glycerine/corn syr. mixture warm. Add liquids to the sugar all at once and mix with a dough hook.


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## joyce (Jun 29, 2004)

Dear Michele,
Thank you for the recipe – it looks as if it has solved my problem – and for your suggestions.
I will try the glycerine method first as I have some but in case I can’t find a supply of it in Hungary I will also try a batch using a pale, unsalted butter such as Lurpak. 
I must say that I like the idea of replacing the vegetable fat with butter rather than lard.
Once again many thanks for your help.
Joyce


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## joyce (Jun 29, 2004)

Thanks, Memoreg, for you hints. 
I am overwhelmed by the immediate response and assistance I have received to solve my problem.
Thank you for your help and congratulations on running such a friendly and informative site.
I hope I can also be of assistance in the future.
Joyce


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

I hope you check in with us in the future, Joyce. We'd all benefit from hearing about your progress.


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## oli (Aug 31, 2001)

Hi Joyce, I see when you joined, you mentioned about being in Hungary. Tell me about it, how you ended up there and where are you from? I am first generation Canadian, my parents came from Hungary a long long time ago. I just do pastry at home and most of my baking is French influence, but its basically any thing that creates the WOW factor. So you know that means Dobos Torta, it was my very first cake, and it surprised me that I could do it. That was literally my spring board.
Cheers


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## joyce (Jun 29, 2004)

Hi Oli,
Yes, I am living in Hungary but I am English. My husband is Hungarian, he left Hungary in 1956 and went to England, which is where I met him, and we married 40 years ago. 
We decided to retire to Hungary so here we are and it is absolutely fantastic.
I have been cooking Hungarian food all my married life and now I am in the country I have been able to learn a lot more dishes. 
I have baked many Hungarian cakes but I am sorry to say I have not yet tried the Dobos Torta. I have seen and tasted one and from what I saw you were certainly adventurous to bake that as your first cake. I shall certainly have a go at baking one in the near future.
Best wishes
Joyce


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## oli (Aug 31, 2001)

Well, I think we are close in age. My cousin, who just died after Xmas, fought in the 56 revolution. The country there is simply fantastic, but it is more so for me than for you. England and Europe can be similar in a lot of ways. For me comming from Canada it is very different. How's your Hungarian? Where in Hungary are you living? One of my relatives lives just above or overlooking the 'O' and the Parliament building. Have you visited the main bakeries there in Budapest near Vaci Utca, just incredible beyond words, the number one when I think of bakeries is Gerbeaud. Here's a link for those unfamiliar with a place that looks like a restuarant but is a pastry shop ttp://traveltohungary.com/indexload.cgi?/english/services/restaura/lstrestaurant.php?id=20
Actually the Dobos Torta's only challenging part was getting the icing right. Most places in the US just put on a chocolate icing, because the burnt sugar is just too difficult. I guess I was just lucky, or I have more Hungarian in me than I thought. Well anyway that's one of the ways I can a good bakery from an okay bakery, is if they have done the traditional topping.


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## joyce (Jun 29, 2004)

Update:
I made the recipe that you gave me for the fatless rolled fondant and using glycerine was fine but the finished fondant was a little crumbly and it was difficult to get a good finish.
My husband remembered that here, in Hungary, they use a type of fat from the inside of the pig to make strudel pastry – the fibres are just peeled off the raw fat and it is rubbed onto the pastry without any sort of processing – luckily, while I was experimenting with the fondant recipe a friend killed a pig so I managed to get hold of some. 
I put some of the fat in a double boiler to melt it and then added a couple of tablespoons to the fondant mix as well as the glycerine. It worked very well and it had no taste or smell. The fondant was perfect.
The cake turned out just fine and I have made several more since using the same recipe.


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