Friday, April 23, 2010

Long Time, No See

Hello, its been a while. Holly has taken over my computer watching Caillou and Dora on Netflix. A blessing and a curse at the same time, I suppose. I have been reduced to using this really old Windows 2000!) computer. Not my favorite place to type. The things we sacrifice for our children.

My sister is recovering from her heart surgery. Slowly. She had a couple of unexpected trips to the hospital this week, but seems to be back on track now.

Hope to sneak a few minutes later to post pictures.

Thank you,too, for the well wishes and prayers for my sis.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Rolled Buttercream Fondant

Over the past few weeks, I have done a bit of experimenting with fondant. You've seen the pictures of bows made from Wilton Fondant and molding chocolate. Next was the Easter Cake, that I was determined to make from a simple, tasty fondant recipe.


Tried Marshmellow Fondant, no thanks. That just did not work for me. Maybe the humidity, the extra "helpers" I had :-) or that I wasn't precise in my measuring? Which brings me back to the "simple, tasty" recipe.

I have blogged about the Dixie sugar "Fondantly Fun" recipe before, and hands down this is still my favorite. However, I was sure there was some other recipe that would be even better. Let's say more "professional". Seeking this better recipe I went to Allrecipes.com and Cake Central. Both listed the same formula for a "rolled buttercream fondant."

Do NOT ever waste your money on making this recipe. Is it that shortening no longer contains transfat? I do not know. But YUCK. It was as if the sugar and corn syrup were mixed with the shortening but not absorbed by it. It looked like shortening; it felt like shortening. Greasy. Even the picture on the Allrecipes.com website is shiny. Regular fondant is flat.

From here on, my go to recipe for simple, tasty homemade fondant : Fondantly Fun. You most likely have the ingredients on hand and if you don't they are sold everywhere. Unlike the ingredients for regular fondant (glycerin and glucose? Not available here.)

***The Dixie Crystal website no longer has the recipe, so here it is from the back of the box. Unbelievably, this rolls and shapes like fondant but made with butter!

Tips for success are: make the Fondantly Fun in advance. If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, so fast! Wrap it in plastic and let it sit for a day or two. Add any extracts for flavor, 1t should be plenty. Double the recipe really doesn't fit in my mixer, so I make two batches to cover a 9x11 cake.

This is a much softer fondant than the regular store bought, therefore it can be harder to work with. Letting it sit, wrapped in plastic for a while helps alot. Roll the fondant out with lots of powdered sugar. Lightly brush off the excess sugar after you move it. Any remaining powder will be absorbed by the fondant. (May take a bit, but it will).

What prompted all this in depth analysis of fondant? These cookies:
were being sold for $7 EACH at a local bakery. Fondant covered sugar cookies. $7. EACH.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Prayer Request

My sister had a "minimally invasive robotic mitral valve " heart surgery this week. She is recovering, but still needing prayers. Would you add yours to mine, please?

Lord, please continue to guide the doctors and staff that are caring for my sister. Heal her through and through. Comfort her to give her peace so she can rest and recover. Protect her. Thank you for the miracle of this surgery. Amen.