Fondant

I've been having fun with fondant for the last few days, and wanted to share some basic techniques with you!  For this, I used:

Wilton premade fondant
Powdered sugar
Gel colors
Rolling pin
Various cutters
Edible adhesive (not required)

Start by pulling out a handful of the fondant, and you'll find that it's really quite sticky.  Cover your board/mat and rolling pin with powdered sugar, and that you will find it MUCH easier to work with.

Pick a gel color and add a little bit to the ball of fondant with a toothpick.  [You might want to use gloves so you won't stain your hands.]  Began to knead.  Luckily, it's much easier to knead than the gum paste, and with minimal effort, you will have a lovely color.  I chose a teal blue:

I also colored some yellow and left some white.  Roll it out until it it's approximately 3/16" thick, flipping it over a few times so it doesn't stick to your board or mat.  For a simple design, I chose a biscuit cutter, the wide end of a decorating tip, and the small end of a decorating tip.  Press your shape into the fondant, making sure it cuts cleanly.

(No idea why I used 2 different tips!)


Continue with the cutters until you have used up the free space.  Lift the fondant gently to separate the shapes, and put them to the side.  Gather up the scrap pieces and knead it together - roll it out again and cut out more shapes.  I did this with my three colors, and ended up with this (in containers to keep it soft):

 

The reason I cut the fondant in different sized circles is because circles are the building blocks for some fun designs!  Stack different colors for a simple cupcake topper design, as shown here:

Or have fun creating animals like this guy - with a few strokes of an edible pen, you could make monkeys, dogs, bears, etc. from basic circles.  It's easy to stick the shapes together with frosting or with an edible adhesive like Dab 'n Hold.

Once you're comfortable with the techniques above, get more adventurous with the cutters you use!  In the next couple of weeks, I'm going to showcase some fondant and gum paste flowers, and how you can paint them to achieve a realistic look.

Have fun!  Next up - a post on tools and supplies.
- Sugar Baby