Marshmallow Fondant

Such an easy fondant to make, and none of the challenging ingredients you see with packaged fondant! Use this versatile fondant dough to make those creative cake and cookie creations… Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 200g mini marshmallows, any brand
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, plus extra in reserve for kneading (look for corn free if you have allergies/issues with corn/corn starch)
• 1 Tbls water
• Palm Oil Shortening
• Food Coloring, powdered or gel versions work best (look for artificial colorant free brands or try these natural ideas from Enjoy Life!)

Method:

1. Set confectioners sugar in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Keep extra sugar on hand in case your mixture gets too sticky.
2. Place marshmallows in medium size pot and toss with 1 Tbls water to dampen. Place pot over low heat on stove-top. Stir marshmallows until melted, constantly. NOTE: you can do this is a microwave. Just make sure to microwave in 30 second intervals and stir well in between.
3. If making colored fondant, stir in some food coloring at this point. NOTE: if you are using a liquid food coloring, you may need to add more confectioners sugar in the steps below.
4. Stir 1/4 of the confectioners sugar into the melted marshmallows. When incorporated, add another 1/4 more of the confectioners sugar, stirring well between each addition. It will stick to the spatula, this is normal.
5. When half of the sugar has been worked into the marshmallow, transfer the mixture to a clean and dry large bowl. Use the shortening to generously grease your hands and begin to knead the remaining sugar into the fondant. It will be very soft and puffy, but as you work in the rest of the sugar the fondant will firm up and become dough-like. Keep kneading until all of the sugar has been incorporated.
6. At this point, transfer the fondant dough to your countertop to knead. I usually set a working mat on the counter to help with cleanup. Cold countertops also help with this step if you have marble or granite style in your kitchen. To get rid of the powdered sugar from the outside and to keep it from drying out, knead a teaspoon or two of shortening into the fondant dough. If your fondant is still very sticky at this point, put it back in the bowl and add confectioners sugar, a TBLS at a time, until it is easier to handle.
7. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a zip-lock bag. Allow to rest until completely cool, about an hour.
8. When ready to use, grease your work surface well with shortening. Knead your fondant to make it pliable again. Roll out to desired thickness. If it has been a while and the fondant is really stiff or hardened, you can try to soften by placing it in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in short bursts (ie 2-5 seconds at a time, be careful as the sugar will be hot to the touch if you microwave too long and can burn you).

This fondant has a wonderfully smooth texture, very forgiving and takes coloring very well. I have used it for decorating cakes and for making designs for the top of cookies. We used cookie cutters for the logo designs in the picture above. You could also use it to make fondant flowers if you have the tools available. A basic color flow icing for cookies and cakes will help adhere any of your creations to the pastry you choose.