Marshmellow Fondant

My friend Megan gave me this recipe and I love it. So I'm sharing.

Marshmallow Fondant

16oz white mini marshmallows
2 lbs confectioners sugar
2-5 tbs water
1/2 C shortening

(NOTE: Please be careful, this first stage can get hot.) Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in microwave: Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, put back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 1/2 minutes total. (To color your fondant add wilton food coloring at this point. Stir in the food coloring until you are please with the color.) Place 3/4 of the confectioners sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix. Now grease you hands GENEROUSLY (palms, backs, and in between fingers), then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands! Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant starts sticking. (If the mix is tearing easily, it is too dry. Add water about 1/2 tbs at a time and then knead it in.) It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake. It is best if you can let it sit, double wrapped over night (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see powder sugar, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water. Prepare the fondant icing for storing by coating it with a good layer of shortening, double wrap in plastic wrap and then put in a ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Will store in fridge for a week and in freezer for a month.

Frost your cake with buttercream icing, so that the fondant will stick to the cake. Put cornstarch on your counter and rolling pin. Unwrap the fondant put on the cornstarch and start rolling out. When it is as thin as you want the fondant to be, carefully pick it up and place on your cake. With your hands smooth it out until all the air bubbles are gone. To add decorations, shape them with fondant then add a small dab of water on the back of the decoration and place it on the cake. You may need to hold the decoration on for a few seconds to get it to stick to the fondant base.

Have fun decorating you cake!!