Yummy Marshmallow Fondant

Notes:
If possible, make up fondant the night before you need it. This will allow any leftover powdered sugar time to dissolve when you knead it again before use.

1. Remove all jewelry on hands and wrists!

2. Put marshmallows in large glass bowl

3. Add 3 Tablespoons of water to marshmallows. If you want to flavor the fondant, substitute flavoring for the water.

4. Place marshmallows in microwave and cook for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

5. Dust a flat work surface with sifted powder sugar (like one would use flour for a pastry).

6. While marshmallows are in the microwave, put 1/2 cup shortening in a mixing bowl.

7. Add 2 pounds minus 1/2-1 cup of SIFTED powdered sugar to the mixing bowl.

8. Once marshmallows are done, stir them up a little bit to soften more and mix with the water.

9. Take softened marshmallows and add to mixing bowl with the sugar.

10. Using a mixer and dough hook, position hook so that the mixture does not go over dough hook. You may have to keep the head of mixer lifted to prevent hook from being buried. If you have a “splatter” guard put it in place – you will be happy you did. Turn mixer on slowest speed.

11. As it is mixing, you want to “knock” the powdered sugar off sides of bowl. Powdered sugar may “dust” up and this is where the “splatter” guard will be helpful. Continue mixing.

12. If you want to color the fondant all one color, add coloring now.

13. Increase speed as necessary.

14. Once ingredients are mixed, stop mixer and lift dough hook out of bowl. Use your fingers to get mixture off dough hook – mixture is very sticky.

15. Pour mixture out onto your work surface. Be sure to get all remaining pieces from mixing bowl.

16. Start kneading just like you would bread dough.

17. As you knead it the texture will change. If you have mixture sticking to the countertop, use a pastry scraper to remove it. Unlike bread dough, fondant needs a lot of kneading to get to a soft and non-sticky ball. You do not want mixture to be sticky after kneading. If it gets too dry, add shortening to the mixture in 1/8 teaspoon increments (or you can add water if shortening doesn’t work).

18. When you have a soft smooth consistency you’re done. You need to double wrap it in cling wrap to keep air from getting to it.

19. You can store it out on the counter for a couple of weeks. If it is going to be longer than that, put it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to use it, you can re-soften it by putting in microwave for a few seconds at a time so that it is soft and you can then re-knead it.