Homemade fondant (clay like frosting)

Ingredients required to make the fondant recipe:

* 1 Tbsp of unflavored gelatin
* 1/4 cup of cold water
* 1 tsp of almond extract
* 1/2 cup of light corn syrup (If a corn syrup is not available, you can substitute it with a sugar syrup made with 1-1/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup water, boiled together until syrupy)
* 1 Tbsp of glycerin (some recipes say it’s optional, believe me, it’s a must)
* 2 lbs 10X confectioners’ sugar
* 1/2 tsp of white vegetable shortening

Directions how to make the fondant recipe:

* Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let it rest for 2 minutes to soften
* Place the bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds on High, until the gelatin dissolves
* Add the Almond extract
* Add the corn syrup and the glycerin and stir until the mixture is smooth and clear (if the mixture is not turning smooth and clear, microwave it for an additional 15 to 20 seconds on high and stir again)
* Sift 1 1/2 pounds of the sugar into a large bowl
* Make a hole in the sugar and pour the liquid mixture to it
* Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes sticky
* Sift some of the remaining 1/2 pound of sugar onto a smooth work surface and add as much of the remaining sugar as the mixture will take
* Knead the fondant, adding a little more sugar if necessary, to form a smooth, pliable mass
* Rub the vegetable shortening on your thumbs and knead it into the fondant
* Wrap the fondant in plastic wrap and place it in a tightly sealed container to prevent it from drying out
If the icing dries out and harden it can often be revived by popping it into a microwave oven for a few seconds and then kneading it back to life

Thank you. Now I can ignore those boxes in the stores, if the folks who I may be making a wedding cake for decide not to go with buttercreme.

No wait Denny. There is an easier recipe for fondant that is marshmallow and powdered sugar. Just a minute.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm This one has a picture tutorial, very detailed about how to handle it.

Very interesting. I guess I've never actually had fondant on any cakes I have eaten. I didn't know until I was ordering my In-laws' anniversary cake that the fondant tastes nasty. The MM kind doesn't sound so bad!

I've been thinking that maybe when I get my back straightened out, I might take a cake decorating class or something. I'm just SOOO not crafty-coordinated. Don't misunderstand: I would love to be able to make things, I'm just not very good at it.

Again, very interesting link. Thanks, Esther!

It just happened that my second cousin is just getting started in cake decorating and doesn't have much money. I was trying to give her a boost by giving her some of the fondant cutters and anything I had that would work for cake decorating. So was looking into recipes for her to make her own fondant after I heard that the boughten fondant tasted terrible.

Heh, thanks, Esther, for both recipes.

I've actually done a little decorating at work-- learning some of the basics, anyway. I'm not /that/ good at it. The decorator at work said that the marshmallow fondant sounded excellent, and she'd like to try it sometime.

The marshmallow one sure is easier and I have talked with a couple decorators who used that one.

I think I could decorate cakes with fondant but cannot get into making frosting flowers the old way.