bunnywoman
Posts: 13603
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Posted: Wednesday May 19, 2010 7:33 PM
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MARSHMALLOW FONDANT REVISITED........UPDATED:
This MMF is placed on an already iced buttercream cake that is made as smooth as possible. A nice smooth surface is needed for a more professional appearance of the fondant. Any imperfections below the MMF will show through.
RECIPE FOR SMALL BATCH:
Marshmallow fondant
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 tbsp water
1 1/2- 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Place marshmallows in a standard 1 cup measuring cup and push down and pack them in. Place in a microwave safe bowl and add the water. Put in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Just long enough for them to soften and puff up. Take out and stir with a spoon until it is combined well. At this point it looks kind of soupy. Then add the sugar and mix and fold until all is incorporated and it is no longer sticky. I take it out of the bowl when it gets to the point where most of the sugar is incorporated and I knead it in my hands. This takes roughly about 5-7 minutes. Take a fondant roller or a regular rolling pin and roll out just as you would Wilton's fondant. You can get this fondant almost paper thin and it also repairs well. It's cheap, easy to work with, and tastes great too. ***Microwaves times vary so please adjust to your own microwave.
RECIPE FOR LARGE BATCH:
1- 16 oz bag of mini marshmallows
2 tbsp water
7 cups powdered sugar (2 pound bag MINUS 1 cup)
Do the same procedure as above for the small batch.
CHOCOLATE or WHITE CHOCOLATE MMF RECIPE:
For Chocolate Marshmallow Fondant:
Add 1 oz melted chocolate.
1 tbsp cocoa powder to the basic recipe.
I add good quality chocolate to my marshmallow fondant. I prefer Lindt, Callibaut or Ghirardelli. It just makes it taste better. I want everything to be palate pleasing. You can add candy melts if you so choose. There is nothing wrong with that at all. Just depends on your taste buds.
Well I have experimented with the cocoa powder separately.........and also melted chocolate separately. If I was going to make a choice to do one or the other separately I would choose the melted version. I just prefer the texture that I get from it. It incorporates better. I sifted my cocoa FIRST too to rid it of any lumps. They both did have nice flavor. Then.......on the flipside........I put the cocoa powder AND the melted chocolate TOGETHER and I really liked the pungent chocolate flavor that I achieved. The mixture of the dry cocoa and the liquefied chocolate kind of balances out the moisture, so to speak, so that you don't have to add a ton of powdered sugar to make up for the added moisture. If you want to stick with just the cocoa powder and get a really strong chocolate flavor just swap out some of the powdered sugar for the cocoa powder. You can also add Lorann Oils chocolate flavoring to this as well.
For White chocolate Marshmallow fondant:
Add 1-2oz good quality white chocolate, melted to the basic recipe above.
I use this if I want a white chocolate flavor and a "white" color.
I would add up to 2 ozs of white chocolate to achieve a nice, rich white chocolate flavor. I add a little, mix and knead, and then taste allot to see if I need to add more or not.
STICKINESS PROBLEMS?
If it is way to sticky to work with then cut back on the amount of liquid that you used by about 1/2 tsp. This will help.
Let it sit out and "air dry" for about 10 minutes.
Use a small amount of Crisco on your work surface, rolling pin, bowl,and hands. A little goes a very long way so don't go over board with the Crisco.
Dust your MMF ball with a powdered sugar poof. You can also use a cornstarch poof but it will tend to dry out the MMF faster.
HOW TO ROLL IT OUT?
Well........when I make a cake and cover it totally in the marshmallow fondant I typically roll it about 1/8" to ¼” thick. That way the flavors of the buttercream and the marshmallow fondant "marries well". If I roll it too thick......people in my neck of the woods don't like to "chew" their frosting. This way I get the best of both worlds! Rule of thumb here though: it has to be rolled thick enough so that it won't tear. I use the rubber rings for the ends of my rolling pin. That way I get an even thickness all over. A really CHEAP way to roll this out is go to Wal-Mart and back in the fabrics section they have these really long pieces of clear vinyl. I think I bought a yard of it for like $3.00 or around there.
Spray or dust this mat with cornstarch or powdered sugar and roll your MMF out on it. You can use the mat to transfer it to your cake as well. It is really easy to do.
HOW MUCH WILL THIS COVER?
I can get my small batch to cover a single layer 10" round. The thicker you roll your fondant the less surface area coverage you will achieve. You must take that into consideration.
HOW TO STORE IT?
Dough that is not in use must stay covered with plastic wrap or it will dry out. Or place it in a Ziploc bag. I squish all of the air out of the Ziploc baggy. You can also foodsaver this as well.
It is best if it can be kept in an AC room in the summer time. DO NOT place it in direct sunlight or next to a heat register in the wintertime. It will not hold up in those conditions. If kept at about 75 degrees it will last for about 4 days. I haven't went any longer than that. The cake was gone by then.
I do not refrigerate the cake (with the exception of if the cake has a perishable filling in it......then YES refrigerate it!!) or the leftover MMF dough ball.
EXPIRATION?
There is nothing in it that will spoil so to speak. What I look for is the latest expiration dated marshmallows I can find. I generally stick with that date.
Fondant stands up better to heat and humidity than buttercream does. Eating it right away is the best bet in any high heat/humidity situations in my book. You will notice some "stickiness" appearance to it if it sits out for too long in the high temps/humidity. Keep it out of direct sunlight or any kind of direct heat!!!!!!!
HOW TO FLAVOR IT?
I add any flavor Lorann Oil flavorings to this. Something that will compliment my cake well. What I do is cut back on the water and add about 1/8 tsp Lorann flavoring. You can certainly add more (especially if I make the large batch) for a more of a pungent flavor, just adjust the water amount accordingly. *****The more liquid you add to this will make it stickier to work with. Try to be accurate in measuring the liquid.***** Lorann Oil flavorings are concentrated flavors so you only need a drop or two. I add a little, knead, taste, and add some more if need be. Most baking shops or craft shops have these. You can also purchase them thru them directly at www.lorannoils.com or www.ckproducts.com. You can also add vanilla, almond, and butter flavorings to this. Literally, the possibilities are endless!!!!!! Go with something that will best compliment your cake. 
HOW TO COLOR IT?
Well I have experimented with this several different ways. If I want to make the whole batch of Marshmallow fondant one color then I have added the color, just Wilton paste color, Americolors, or Chefmaster colors.....any will work for this, when I pull the bowl out of the microwave when it looks "soupy". Stirred it up and then added the powdered sugar. Otherwise I have added it after it has come together and kneaded it in by hand. I use plastic gloves too when I do this, because otherwise your hands are never the same!!!!
HOW TO MAKE DECORATIONS WITH IT?
When I make decorations I mold or shape them in the figure I desire and then let them sit out on a piece of wax paper on my counter top till completely dry. Drying time depends on the humidity conditions of your kitchen. The more humid your kitchen is the longer drying time. Then if I don't need them for a few days I'll place them in a container and not completely lock on the lid. If it gets airtight......I have had a couple decorations soften up again. Then you need to let them air dry once again. They will last for a long time. I have used some that were 4-5 weeks old and they were just fine. I am talking about roses and such when I speak of the 4-5 week time frame, just need to clarify that. I have pearls that I made months ago and they are just fine.
I have always had good luck with just water on a paint brush to attach decorations to MMF. The only time I used piping gel was when I was working with heavy drapes. Things like larger decorations (like big balls, teddy bears, etc) I stick a tooth pick or a very small diameter dowel rod in them and then into the cake for more support. If it is a buttercream iced cake........then I attach the fondant decos with buttercream. If it is a fondant covered cake........then I attach the fondant decos with water if they are small decos. If they are large, heavy decos then I will attach them with royal or even buttercream icing with the tooth pick/dowel. Melted white chocolate works fabulously too for heavy items like drapes or bows. The melted chocolate dries fast and is very sturdy.
Yes you can make flowers out of MMF. Ribbon roses are fast and easy with this. However if you want to make cut out flower petals say for like regular roses then you need to add some Tylose powder to it to make it stiffer and dry faster.
CAN YOU RESTORE IT BACK TO LIFE?
Dried out Marshmallow fondant can be restored back to life. Just place it back into the microwave and nuke it for a few seconds to revive it back to its original state. The bigger the batch the more time on the microwave. Example: small batch 3-5 seconds.......large batch about 10 seconds. Microwaves vary too so keep that in mind. Re-knead it and your good to go!
DOES IT DRY OUT AFTER IT IS APPLIED TO A CAKE AND BECOME HARD? CRACKING?
To prevent the cracking issue just rub it with a tiny bit of Crisco on a paper towel if it is already rolled out onto your cake. If it is still in a dough stage, I usually put some Crisco on my hands, just enough to give it a gloss look to it, and then knead the dough a little and that helps if it wants to crack on me. You can add a couple of drops of water too to replenish it back. MMF will get a hard appearance on the outside, but the inside remains soft and pliable.
USES? WHAT CAN I DO WITH IT?
As far as airbrushing on the marshmallow fondant this does work really well. The spray cans also gave a nice effect on this fondant. (Just in case some people don't have an airbrush.)
I have also used luster dusts and painted with paste color mixed with lemon extract or vodka. All worked very well for me.
Ribbon rollers, fondant cutters, cookie cutters, embossers, etc ……all work very well with this. MMF works just the same as any other commercial fondant as far as the uses for it.
MOLDING?
It does work. I had to play around with it one day to get it to work. I tried several methods too.
1. I tried to roll it in cornstarch and pressed it into the mold. That worked pretty well. I tried the same thing only this time with with powdered sugar. That worked ok too.
2. Then I tried taking a small paint brush, spraying it over a piece of wax paper, and lightly brushing the mold. This gave it a really shiny appearance. Now if a shiny appearance is what you are trying to get then by all means do so. Seashells works wonderfully for this.
3. I was thinking on the same lines as how I make my cream cheese mints.......I rolled it in sugar first and then pressed it into the mold. This worked too, but left the granules on the MMF. I let them sit to dry and I could dust off some of the granules. It gave it a rough look. It is hot and humid here so I let mine sit for about 2-3 days to dry.
KITCHEN DOUGH HOOK?
By all means you can certainly use your dough hook to save some elbow grease. It works very well. Make sure your grease the bowl and dough hook to prevent sticking.
FOOD PROCESSOR?
It has been brought to my attention by CHAR-LEE here on the board that it is possible to make a batch of MMF using a large food processor. She has posted her experience here on the board. I, personally, have not tried this as I only have a mini food processor.
FREEZING? REFRIGERATING?
Typically any cake that is buttercream or fondant covered, unfilled should be left out and edible for up to 4 days. If it has a perishable filling then it needs to be refrigerated. My only other time I will chill it is when the cake is going to an outside venue where it is very humid and hot. It helps it last a little longer.
SMALL VS. LARGE MARSHMALLOWS?
Several decorators here have confirmed that they have used either or and they have had great results. I personally just use the mini marshmallows.
POSTED BY TOMORROW:
“I always use the large marshmallows and have never had to add more water. So I don't think it's the size of the marshmallows that matter. 100 small is the same amount of marshmallow as the 10 large. Only difference is that you may have to heat them for a few seconds more. Which basically means they are being heated longer and lose more moisture, but those couple of seconds don't really make that much of a difference. At the very least if it's way over heated, you'd be using like a tsp less icing sugar. I don't melt mine completely... when there are still little bumps of marshmallow, I just stir and the heat of the melted ones melt the chunks.”
and finally..........
It is my quest to help others out with the MMF and to keep your sanity. There you have it in a nutshell. …..Marshmallow Fondant 101. I know I probably forgot some other issues here, but I tried to condense it down more so that people are not searching through 37+ pages!!!!!!! Any and all questions and answers can be found in the MAIN THREAD of the MMF topic. If you don’t find your answer here please check that thread!!! The answers are in there not only by me, but from many other wonderful decorators here on the board who have graciously shared their experiences with the MMF. If you would like to add to this page (if I forgot something) please feel free to do so.
IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BUT.......I ASK that this thread stay just a question and answer thread (Like I did above) so people have a resource to look up in the search feature. I love to hear the success stories, but please start a new thread for that. I thank you for understanding.
I thank you for your patience in reading this novel.
Happy Decorating!
Bunnywoman
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, but I thought I'd mention it anyway for people (like me!) who may not realize this. The bags of mini marshmallows in my grocery stores are all 10.5 oz. so I had to use part of a second bag to make a large batch.
