Marshmallow Fondant

I've gotten a few questions about the fairy cake I made for Allison's party. I don't know how interested anyone is, but I thought I would share the recipe for making the fondant for the cake. I hadn't ever worked with fondant before, so it was purely experimental but I was surprised with how easy it was to work with...like play dough. This marshmallow kind is supposed to be better tasting than regular fondant, too. I don't think I have even tried eating regular fondant before though, so I couldn't tell you. To me, it was just sweet (marshmallows + powdered sugar...what do you expect?). I found this recipe online...somewhere out there. By the way, this makes quite a bit. There was more than plenty enough for the fairy cake. So for anyone feeling adventurous...

Marshmallow Fondant

2-10 oz bags MINI marshmallows

1 1/2 bags powdered sugar (3 lbs)

4 Tbs water

1 tsp clear vanilla (I just used regular vanilla)

1 tsp butter flavoring (optional)

Shortening (to coat your hands with to prevent sticking)

1. Spray a large microwaveable bowl with Pam.

2. Put marshmallows in the bowl, add water, stir, and microwave for 45 seconds on high.

3. Stir and continue microwaving in 45 second intervals until completely melted, about 3 minutes total.

4. Add flavoring and stir. Pour one whole bag of powdered sugar into the bowl and mix with a spoon. (This will take a bit of effort to mix it all in)

5. Grease your counter with Pam, pour remaining 1/2 bag of sugar on the counter, making a sugar barrier around the perimeter. Pour marshmallow mixture onto the middle of the sugared counter (so there is a circle of powdered sugar around a big blog of marshmallow goo).

6. Grease your hands with shortening. Fold in the remaining sugar (about 2 minutes). (It's okay if you don't get ALL of the sugar mixed into it. There will be some extra on the counter.)

7. Once the sugar is mixed in, start to knead, about 3 minutes. If it sticks, sprinkle a little remaining sugar underneath.

8. Once it is smooth, coat in shortening and double wrap with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge.

Hopefully that all makes sense. It can keep in the fridge for a while. I made mine a couple days ahead of time to make things easier when it was time to make the cake, but I think it will keep even longer than that. When it's time to pull it out, it will need to warm back up to room temp again before you can work with it. You can microwave it on low settings for short amounts of time until it is easy to work with.

*Important*: Use plenty of cornstarch on your counter to prevent sticking when you are rolling it out. The biggest problem I had was that it kept sticking to the counter. You can also use shortening, I think. I'm not an expert, remember. But I do know you don't want it to stick to the counter. Trust me on this one. Also, don't forget to coat your hands with shortening if it is sticking to your hands.

Store the decorated cake at room temperature...not in the fridge.

Have fun!