# Fondant?!



## kparma89 (Oct 26, 2008)

The other day i decided to play with fondant icing for the first time ever, mostly i just mix my own like a butter cream frosting or something of the like. I absolutely fell in love!!! However, the flavor was something reminiscent of foot. I can admit it was a cheap-o brand from an arts and craft store, i mean, come on i'm not gonna go high dollar when i am just tryin to figure the stuff out but that stuff is just not going to cut it.

So here's my question, what brands do you chefs out there use that actually have a good flavor to them?


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## zcakes (Oct 14, 2008)

Ok - that brand from the kraft store that you don't want to mention is great for learning. It is also good for covering dummy cakes for cake shows. But when you are comfortable you need to move up to Satin Ice and then if you love it you can go to Karma. 

You can get Satin Ice at a good price from global sugar art online.


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## thedessertdiva (Feb 13, 2007)

When you want flavor, as well as a nice look, I make a Marshmellow fondant and a whie modeling chocolate and combine the two. The flavor profile is very good and you can also add lor ann oil to modify the flavor as well.
www.cakecentral.com is a great site for the recipe (MMF) as well as plenty of advice.

Joan


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## rchrisitan56 (Nov 9, 2008)

Satin ice is ok. It tends to sweat thoguh.
Massa Ticino is good, works well also. I dont like modeling chocolate fondants like Mass Grischuna. tends to be too sticky also.
Really you shouldn't be eating the Fondant anyway. If you going for taste use a buttercream made with regular fondant and not rolled. It's pretty good.
Robert


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

I really love home made boiled fondant. It adds that chewy texture to cakes and pastries that is so appealing. I don;t know how easily it rolls, but I don;t see why it wouldn;t. You can flavor with real vanilla, and it would be good, but i like it as it is.

It's also magical how it turns from transparent sugar syrup to finely crystallized fondant as you scrape it. I put the excess in a jar with a piece of damp paper towel on top and it lasts forever.


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## penguin (Aug 30, 2008)

Siduri- Would you mind sharing your recipe for your boiled fondant? I'd love to try it.

Thanks, Emily


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

Hi Penguin, 
Ok, here it is. 
boil *1 cup water* in a heavy pot
stir in *3 cups sugar* and stir till dissolved 
add a small *pinch cream of tartar* or 1 tb corn syrup and stir (watch it doesn;t make it boil over)
boil, covered, so the steam washes down the sides of the pot - or you can wash the crystals of sugar off the sides with a very wet brush
cook uncovered, and don;t stir any more at all (you may introduce crystals) until 238-249 degrees (soft ball)
Pour directly onto a marble slab and let it cool. Start scraping with a bench scraper, a flat spatula or egg turner or other flat scraping thing (big flat knife) - scrape it up towards the center, continuing on and on until it starts to turn from transparent to opaque. (What's happening here, i think, is that the molecules of sugar in the water have become amorphous and lost their specific pattern of being lined up in squares, but when it begins to dry, some crystals form on the marble, but instead of being large ones like in the original sugar, they're very tiny. The presence of patterns of crystals in the syrup begins to make the other molecules align with them - like when you put marbles in a dish, and they end up making triangular formations. Eventually it will be completely white and kind of crumbly. Then begin kneading it, until it's all smooth. 
Wrap very well in plastic, and let it ripen half a day or more. 
You roll it out like dough on waxed paper or on a greased surface, just like pie dough. it lifts up and can be carried around the rolling pin to the cake. (If you use it on a cake you should put a layer of frosting of some kind underneath or a layer of marzapan, brushed with jam, to make it stick)
You can also heat the fondant in a double boiler, with about two or three tbsp of liquid- water, vanilla, coffee, liqueur, and then pour it over the cake.
It gives a nice chewy consistency that is a great foil to certain cakes, and is also what they put on napoleons and, mixed with chocolate, what frosts eclairs.


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## gogoguy (Sep 17, 2008)

Thanks for the recipe. I wish someone could also help me find a good chocolate mold process.


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## penguin (Aug 30, 2008)

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't wait to try this.

_Eventually it will be completely white and kind of crumbly. Then begin kneading it, until it's all smooth. _
How long does it usually take you to knead until smooth? 5 minutes? 30 minutes?

_Wrap very well in plastic, and let it ripen half a day or more. _
Should I ripen on the counter or in the fridge?

_It gives a nice chewy consistency that is a great foil to certain cakes, and is also what they put on napoleons and, mixed with chocolate, what frosts eclairs. _
Eclairs are a favorite of mine to make, if I top eclairs with the fondant, do I just drizzle it over the tops of them? Or do you have a better method?

Thank you again, 
Emily


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

i haven't done it in a while. i usually do it for five minutes or so and if it's not leaving any crystals (whitish stuff) on the marble (i have dark granite, so they show) then i wait a little more, then try some more. ten minutes? not really sure


i think it can stay out. If you want to hold it for days, then put a piece of very well squeezed out damp cloth over it, and in a jar or tupperware. Otherwise it gets hard. If hard, you can put over double boiler and it might soften

to tell you the truth, i never tried. i think you mix melted semisweet or bitter chocolate with the fondant, and then heat over double boiler, adn spoon and spread on top.


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## penguin (Aug 30, 2008)

Thank you!

I've made two attempts with this recipe and both have had the same outcome: 

As I'm kneading the mixture, its soft and pliable. It's transparent and slowly gets streaks of white ribbons in it. It's still firm but very workable and soft. Then after kneading it for 10 minutes, the entire mixture turns a solid white, then bursts into little pebbles and crumbles. 

It's all a crumbly mess that is impossible to work with as it's hard as a rock . . .

Any ideas on what's happening? One minute it's still transparent and looking beautiful, the next minute it's ruined. . .


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

ok, maybe you've brought it to too high a temperature in the soft ball stage? that's my first thought. It's also true that when it's crumbly you do have to keep kneading it with your hands. Try this, put the crumbly mess in a double boilerand warm it up with a very small sprinkling of water (maybe a tsp, to try). I think there are books with suggestions on this, and maybe you can find some online. I believe i read this once. let it get warm and knead again. see if that works. If not, try more water. Maybe someone with more experience can help us out here - i never had the problem of it getting too hard to knead.


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## penguin (Aug 30, 2008)

Thanks Siduri, I appreciate the feedback. I took it off the heat right at the softball stage, but maybe I need to move quicker to get it out of the hot pan. I'll make another attempt soon. Thanks!


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

perhaps also don;t let it cool completely before starting to scrape it. I never have the patience to wait so long!  maybe that's why it worked? Of course, be sure not to touch hot syrup! Anyway, one book i have says wait till it cools, another says to let it cool till if you press the top it sort of wrinkles up, then it's ready to scrape.


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## penguin (Aug 30, 2008)

Good tip, thank you.


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## merliajoseph (Nov 30, 2008)

very cool! thanks for those!


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## ladyonzlake (Apr 9, 2009)

Yes, the craft store product is not so good but if you want to use it, it is suggested to add your own flavoring to it. I personally use either Satinice or Pettinice. I have heard wonderful things about Massa Ticino but it is rather expensive. I prefer the Satinice as it also comes in different premixed colors such as red and black which can be hard to acheive on your own.


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## rpooley (Dec 1, 2015)

Penguin said:


> Thank you!
> 
> I've made two attempts with this recipe and both have had the same outcome:
> 
> ...


I make fondant all the time using this recipe. However, my understanding is that this is POURED fondant, intended to be re-warm slightly and poured over items, particularly petit fours. When I make it, it always becomes dry and hard. I pack it in a container, cover with damp cheesecloth and it keeps for ages, up to a year or more in the fridge. Just made some petit fours the other day and it was beautiful. Making some this morning.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

@rpooley this is a pretty old thread that started out re rolled fondant for cake covering/décor and then someone got it mixed up (common unless you are on a straight cake décor site) with candy fondant.

The OP was prolly re the Wilton brand (available at hobby stores) as it was famous for the nasty odor and flavor but cheap (about half the price) to play with.

The one you are referring to is used for the center of pecan logs and other candy treats but also kept for warming and pouring over petits fours (fairy cakes  as well as dipping shaped shortbread cookies for a quick glaze .

I flavor my candy fondant with almond oil and am totally addicted ... can go thru a dozen 2x3 inch piggy cookies in the blink of an eye lol.

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif

mimi


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## rpooley (Dec 1, 2015)

@mimi LOL I didn't notice the date on the thread. When I saw the recipe listed above, it was the exact proportions of the JC MTAFC2 that I use, minus a bit of glucose syrup/corn syrup which she calls for using.

The mix cooling on the marble...





  








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First few moments of kneading...





  








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After about 5 minutes but only about 30 seconds before the next...





  








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Suddenly stiff and unworkable....





  








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After a bit of working with a rolling pin, like rolling dough, the fluidity comes back. Placed in container...





  








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Covered with cheesecloth, ready for ripening/storage in the fridge...





  








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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Looks good...

The first time I didn't wait for the mix to cool before dropping into my food processor (the lazy peoples way lol) and melted the container.

Duh....mimi being mimi .....

mimi


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## rpooley (Dec 1, 2015)

Zoinks. The kitchen lessons we learn. But don't you miss the bicep workout? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif

P.S. The black flecks are intentional. Vanilla bean.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

rpooley said:


> But don't you miss the bicep workout? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif


About as much as I miss the carpal tunnel syndrome lol.

mimi


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## rpooley (Dec 1, 2015)

We should make a game to see if you can get an old thread going again. Like starting up an old car.


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## sweettooth77 (Feb 19, 2017)

Can you also put it on a Corian countertop if you don't have marble?


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## rpooley (Dec 1, 2015)

Quick Google search says Corian recommends not putting anything hotter than 212 F on the surface.  The fondant is 238 F when it's poured out to start cooling and working so I think that would mean you can't do it.  I think there are methods of doing it in a KitchenAid mixer but I think you have to watch it like a hawk.  When it finally turns, it's REALLY hard to move and could damage the motor.


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