Marshmallow Fondant

Marshmallows. It's a love hate relationship. Is it bad to say that I'm not a fan of marshmallows? The hate part comes from the texture when you eat one of them. Also the fact that I don't even like to eat s'mores. It's sad. Love though is all because of this fondant here! It's not just delicious to eat, but it's also cheaper versus buying already made fondant from the store! 

Your basic ingredients include marshmallows (obviously!), powdered sugar, light corn syrup, salt, water, and extracts for extra flavor. Vegetable shortening is also a must have when making this fondant, mainly because it gets a little sticky (or more like a whole lotta sticky) and it helps with that. 

Some people say that making your own fondant isn't worth the trouble. Yes, I know that it can be a pain to do, but to me it's completely worth it. I like using this better because it doesn't dry out as fast as the stuff you buy in the store, plus it tastes so much better too. My sister prefers the marshmallow fondant over the stuff that I had to buy for her graduation cake. And I don't blame her, even though I liked the fondant I had bought, this stuff is just way cheaper to make.

If you buy fondant from the store it can cost you from $15 to $100 depending on how much you need. That's really expensive! And how much does it cost to buy a bag of marshmallows and powdered sugar? Like $3, maybe even cheaper then that if you have a coupon! 

Give this recipe a try and see what you think. You won't be disappointed.

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Marshmallow Fondant (Adapted from Craftsy)
1 bag mini marshmallows
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp other extract (optional)
1 bag powdered sugar
Vegetable shortening

Grease a microwavable bowl with some vegetable shortening. Put the marshmallows and water into the bowl and microwave until all the marshmallows are melted. Do this in increments of 30 seconds. Once all the marshmallows are melted add in the salt, corn syrup, and extracts and stir to combine. Gradually add in the powdered sugar until you can no longer stir. With a little more of the vegetable shortening grease the counter and your hands and then dust the counter with some of the powdered sugar. Dump the marshmallow fondant onto the greased counter and continue adding in powdered sugar gradually, kneading it until it is no longer sticking. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for at least an hour, and it works best overnight.

NOTE: If you don't want to stir it by hand you can certainly use your mixer. Just use the dough hook attachment and mix until it's no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl then you need to knead in the rest of the powdered sugar by hand. Doing it this way can also be hard on your mixer, so make sure that you absolutely want to do it this way.

NOTE: If you want all of the fondant colored, add in the food coloring with the other ingredients before you add the powdered sugar so it's one less step for you. It's easier then having to knead it into the finished product, and a time saver.