My birthday gift to  RoseHexwit, a very good friend of mine.

This was vanilla cake with buttercream, covered in marshmallow fondant basketweave. The dog on top is a Border Collie puppy made with Rice Krispie treats and covered in marshmallow fondant.

Marshmallow fondant is a tastier, cheaper alternative to the premade stuff, and I very much prefer working with it.


Homemade Fondant

16 oz bag mini marshmallows
3 Tbs water
2 lbs powdered sugar
Crisco

1. Grease a large glass bowl with Crisco.

2. Pour in the marshmallows and water in the bowl. Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted.

3. Reserve about 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Place the rest of the powdered sugar in the large bowl of a standing mixer. Grease the paddle attachment with Crisco. Pour the melted marshmallows onto the powdered sugar.

4. Beat until a dough forms. There will be lots of loose bits and sugar in the bottom of the bowl.

5. Grease a clean work surface with Crisco and dump out the fondant and all loose bits. Grease hands liberally with Crisco and knead the mixture together, just like kneading bread, for about 5 minutes until smooth.

6. Grease hands again as needed. As the fondant becomes smoother, use the reserved powdered sugar to coat the surface to keep it from sticking.

7. Once smooth, you can divide and color the fondant. While working with one piece, cover the remaining fondant with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.

8. When you have your colors finished, or just keep it all white, coat the fondant in a light layer of Crisco. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a large baggie. (One recipe said to let it rest 10 minutes, another overnight. I let mine rest overnight.) Store at room temperature for several months.

9. To use it, dust the surface and rolling pin with cornstarch and roll to 1/8th of an inch.

Source: http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2010/.....e-fondant.html