cake and fondant fun for kiddies

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I'm posting this because we're having so much fun with it and those of you will kids might enjoy it, too.

Okay, so I've discovered how fun it is to play with fondant icing. Basically, it's like playdoh that you can eat, only worse tasting.

The five year old got the "Girl Gourmet" set for christmas, where you get these little packets of cake mix that smells like ass when its cooked, and little packets of fondant of hit or miss quality that tastes like sugar crusted ass. Nonetheless, this is a fun thing to play with. You get all kinds of little cake molds and tools and whatnot, an the cake cooks in the nuke in thirty seconds.

Not wanted to pay a ton of money for ass tasting refills, I got a no cook recipe for fondant off the internet (the commenter below gives a good tip...add cornstarch), and figured out that you can buy a box of cake mix in the store, mix it two parts mix to one part plain water (no need to add eggs or oil), stick it into the cake mold, and proceed as per the instructions in the set.

I just didn't want to have to pay for all those tiny little refill packets. I saw a refill set in Target that was something like twenty bucks. That's not practical.

The kid is having a lot of fun with this. She made her dad a tiny little birthday cake.

[KiaKat]

You can also get Tootsie rolls (chocolate or fruit) for other easy fondant flavours. Just heat it up a bit either in your hand or on the stove (double boiler), and it should be workable for a while.

Also check Michaels for the Wilton sets. They'll include more tools, and I'm pretty sure they have fondant powder, and possibly even the actual reconstituted stuff.

IIRC, fondant is basically sugar, water, and cornstarch, with a bit of gelatin to hold it together. Marshmallow, essentially. Try flavouring it with oil-based flavourings, like orange, almond, or lavender for some neat variations.

I personally don't like the stuff, but it is fun to play with.

[AccountingDrone]

True, it is a blast to mold. You can even use the little doll molds and make edible-ish dolls =)

Although I do remember using a set of mexican skull candy molds to make fondant day of the dead skulls for a party =)

[Aethian]

There are some fondants that actually taste good. I have a written recipe for one somewhere...want me to look for it?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Sure, if it's not troublesome.

The one I am using isn't bad. It tastes better than the stuff the packets in the kid's cake set tastes. Bit sweet, but then, of course it is.

I thought about making some with a bit of almond extract in it. Right now, the ones I made are just plain vanilla.

[Aethian]

I know the blueberry one on food network tastes okay but it stains the teeth and the fingers until it's worked enough.

[raw456]

I have some recipies at home from my cake decorating classes. I'll find them and post them for you.

Are you after the kind of fondant that goes hard (like candy) or the kind that stays soft? I have recipies for both.

In regards to the taste, I find a couple of drops of essence (orange or lemon) mixed in works really well

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Probably the type that stays soft. Easier to keep and leave on the table while we're working.

[raw456]

Here is my teachers recipie for covering fondant. This is the type you find on wedding cakes, etc..... It stays soft and tastes ok.

This recepie makes enough fondant to cover 2 8 inch round cakes so you might want to adjust the amounts to make smaller quantities. You can make it up to step 6 and keep it wrapped and in an airtight container for a couple of weeks

Covering Fondant

1 tablespoon gelatin
60 ml water
3 tablespoons liquid glucose
3 teaspoons glycerine
1 kg sifted pure icing sugar
colouring (optional)



Method:
1. Using double boil method, place water in a glass bowl / jug (do not boil).

2. Add gelatin and stir till dissolved.

3. Remove from heat and add glucose and glycerine, and stir until combined. Allow to cool (not cold).

4. Place 5 cups sifted icing sugar in a bowl, make a well in the centre and add liquid and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar absorbs.

5. Add colour at this stage (if using colour).

6. Place in an air-tight container for 24 hours.

7. Knead balance sifted icing sugar until mixture is satin-smooth, cover and rest for a further hour.

Always keep the fondant covered (in a plastic bag or air-tight container)

[42_42_42]

Good tasting premade fondant exists, but it's not cheap. Satin Ice, Pettinice, Fondarific, and FondX are the GOOD brands. Wilton's stuff is crap (actually, 90% of the stuff made by Wilton is crap).

Here's some good online retailers of baking stuff:

http://www.countrykitchensa.com/

http://www.fancyflours.com/cgi-bin/f...urs/index.html

http://www.foosecookiecutters.com/store/

http://www.globalsugarart.com/

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Cool! Thanks!

[BarbieGirl]

I just made this fondant for my son's b-day and it tastes ok.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm