Homemade Fondant in the Philippines

I once posted how to make Marshmallow Fondant. I was confident enough that it would help our dear customers and fellow cake decorators. However, during my short trip to the Philippines I tried to prepare the fondant using my own recipe (posted here "Ready..Get Set..Fondant!") but I was disappointed when I learned that it is NOT as smooth, as soft and flawless as what I can prepare in my kitchen. I tried to troubleshoot it with glycerine and it paid off. But still, not the same quality as my homemade fondant. DISASTER as you may call it... I was unhappy.

it should look like this before wrapping

I figured out that there are several factors affecting the finish product of my homemade marshamallow fondant made in the Philippines.... FIRST, QUALITY OF THE POWDERED SUGAR. I was surprised that the powdered sugar available in the market is not as refined and powdered as what is available in the US. I describe it a bit grainy. SECOND, the humidity of the environment makes it hard for the fondant to set and to stay dry all the time. I have to put a lot of cornstarch over the fondant after I applied it to the cake in order to achieve a dry-looking fondant. Geeee, that was the first time I saw a perspiring cake. No good!!! THIRD, poor quality of marshmallow in the local market. I tried to use Markenburg brand of mini marshmallow and it gave me a poor quality of fondant. It was cracking once I lift it and it is so hard to knead. Ohh boyyy, did I want to give up??? I personally will not recommend it to homebakers. I would suggest those re-packed mini marshmallow you can buy at the local market. It gives a more friendly and forgiving marshmallow fondant.

I will still recommend my tried and tested marshmallow fondant. But in a place like Philippines, you have to master the 3 Ps...  passion, patience and perseverance when making this. You have to be FAST and FURIOUS because fondant should not be overly expose in open air.  


Here are some of the few steps you have to incorporate on the method of preparing the fondant if you are in a humid place (like the Philippines).

Are you ready????? 

First, prepare your tools and ingredients.

Second, wash THOROUGHLY your hands. (sing the happy birthday song while washing your hands.  It's fun!)

You will need:

 big glass mixing bowl (it should be microwave safe)

strainer

measuring cups

measuring spoons

wooden spoon

plastic wrap

ziploc plastic

tub with airtight lead

SILICON WORKING MAT

Ingredients:

450g grams mini  and good quality marshmallows
2 1/2 TBSP water
1 TBSP corn oil
20 grams GUMMIX powder

5-6 cups of powdered sugar

Crisco vegetable shortening

food coloring (Americolor) **OPTIONAL

1. Place the mini marshmallow in the bowl, put the 2 1/2 TBSP water, 1 TBSP .

2. Strain the powdered sugar. You do this to avoid chunk of powdered sugar to form when you knead it later.

3. Place the bowl (with mini marshmallow) in the microwave. Microwave it for one minute. 

4. While waiting for the marshmallow to melt, put vegetable shortening on your hands..like this.... if you refuse to follow this, you will regret it while kneading the fondant later on. It would be very sticky and messy if your hands are not COMPLETELY and RICHLY greased with shortening.

greasy hands

5. Using the wooden spoon coated and greased with shortening, mix the slightly melted marshmallows. Then, microwave it again for 30 seconds. 

It should look like this after the 1 minute microwave

6. Repeat this procedure (Step 5) until you see no trace of solid marshmallow. In my routine, I repeat it 3-4 times of putting the marshmallow back to the microwave for 30 seconds.

completely melted. It's HOT HOT HOT!

7. After the marshmallow have melted, (BE CAREFUL FOR THIS MELTED MARSHMALLOW IS TERRIBLY HOT), you can put food coloring at this point to the melted marshmallow but if you want to make all white fondant...just proceed to step 8.

put drops of food coloring. Americolor is strongly recommended!

mix the melted and colored marshmallow

8. Put 1 sachet of Gummix powder.

9. Make a well on the center of the strained powdered sugar. Put the melted marshmallow and mix it using the greased wooden spoon. Then, with your greasy hands. 

try to cover the side/wall of the stainless bowl with the powdered sugar

YOU HAVE TO WORK FAST and FURIOUS! Otherwise, the fondant will dry fast and there is a tendency that powdered sugar will form into tiny, hard chunks.

fast and furious

Then place it on the working mat and start to rock n roll..KNEAD..KNEAD...KNEAD (masahin na parang gumagawa ng tinapay). You only stop kneading when you don't feel any grain of powdered sugar. It should only take 5-10 minutes of kneading. As you knead, continue to greased your hands with shortening. TIPS: If the fondant mixture is DRY, mix in 1 teaspoon of water AT A TIME. If it is too sticky, knead in 1/4 cup powdered sugar at a time...continue to add until you feel that the consistency is improving. Temperature of the room is a factor when kneading the fondant. Don't make fondant when it is very humid.

i make sure to have big chunk of vegetable shortening
on the side of my working mat. Grease your hands as you go!

ooohh, this is fun!

10. When you roll and try to form a ball out of the mixture...try to press the surface and it should look like this.

11. Put shortening around the fondant.

12. Wrap it properly with plastic wrap (use food safe plastic wrap please). 

13. Put it in a ziploc plastic and make sure no air inside. You need NOT place it in the refrigerator/freezer. I only let it rest on my pantry.

sugar dough wants to take a rest OVERNIGHT.

14. Put it in an airtight tub or container. It is always best to let the sugar dough rest for a few hours or even OVERNIGHT before using it. When you are going to use the fondant, you have to knead it a bit before you roll it out. Kapag tumigas yung sugar dough just put it in the microwave for 10 SECONDS. Then, knead and roll out. Now, you're ready to cover that cake with fondant.

Goodluck and have fun!