Chocolate Marshmallow Fondant (Choco MMF)

Follow instructions on the MMF recipe.  You will add the following ingredients to the recipe:

• 1 oz melted semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate**
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder (it can be either Dutch-process or natural – the later will give a more pronounced flavor)

Instructions

1. Follow Instructions on MMF recipe from Step1 to 3, for melting the marshmallow.  Once these are melted, stir melted chocolate in a mixing bowl until well incorporated.  Set aside.
2. Here is the change to the MMF recipe.  Instead of just adding the sugar, place the sugar in a small mixing bowl and sift the cocoa powder in a small mesh strainer over the sugar.  Mix the dry ingredients.
3. Proceed to step four, sift sugar and cocoa mix over the melted marshmallow and continue the instructions, i.e., mix until well incorporated.
4. Continue with the kneading (this is hot- wait until it cools a little or start kneading with a spoon until safe to the touch).
*Variations to this recipe:

 ** You can also use white chocolate by substituting 1 oz of semi-sweet chocolate and 1 tbspoon of cocoa powder with 2 oz of white chocolate.

 

 

 

 

 

Fondant: Marshmallow Fondant – Recipe

Ingredients:

•  1lb of Mini Marshmallows (easier to melt)
• 1tsp Clear Vanilla Extract
• 1tsp No Color Butter Flavor
• 2tbsp of Water
• 2lbs of Powdered Sugar
• 2c of Starch
• A little bit of shortening

Instructions:

CLICK HERE for instructions.

 

Royal Icing

By popular demand, here is the Royal Icing recipe.  Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to make edible flowers with Royal Icing. 

Recipe: 

Stiff Consistency (Yields 3 cups)

3 level tablespoons of Meringue Powder
1 lb. sifted pure cane confectioners’ sugar
5-6 tablespoons lukewarm water

**Make sure all your utensils are grease free. Tip: boil egg beaters to remove grease.**

• Place confectioners sugar on a large bowl and add the meringue powder. Mix at low speed until blended.
• Add water and mix for about 8 minutes at low-medium speed until the icing looses its sheen (if you have been mixing for 8 minutes and the icing still has some sheen, don’t worry about it, your icing is done).

To prevent drying cover the bowl of icing with a damp cloth while you are working with it.

Consistency:

Stiff consistency– See recipe above

Medium consistency– Add a teaspoon of water per cup of icing above

Thin consistency– Add two teaspoons of water per each cup of stiff consistency.  One teaspoon of water or milk per each cup of medium consistency icing.

To Read more about icing consistency, click here.

Store in airtight container for up to two weeks. If you want to use it after a while, notice the the icing top layer has dried a little bit. Just mix in low speed to restore original texture. Sometimes you might need to add some water.

 

Color Flow Icing Recipe

Full strength consistency. Yields 1 3/4 cup

1 lb sifted pure cane confectioners’ sugar (4 cups)
2 tablespoons Color Flow Icing Mix ( I use WILTON Color Flow Mix
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon water.

Make sure all utensils are grease free. ** Tip: boil egg beaters to remove grease. **

• Mix all ingredients starting at slow speed (stay at slow if using a stand mixer) and increase to medium (if using a hand mixer). 
• Mix for 8 minutes.
• Stir in desired icing colors (I use Wilton gel colors to keep full strength consistency).
• Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth to avoid drying.  Color flow dries pretty fast.

 

Icing Consistency (buttercream)

See Category: Icing Recipes for buttercream recipe.  

STIFF consistency is used for making roses and flowers with stiff petals. If the icing is not stiff enough the flower petals will fall. If the Icing is too stiff the petals can crack.

This an example of a drooping rose (the consistency wasn’t stiff enough):

Note that the petals are falling and the rose doesn’t look natural.

Test the consistency of your icing to know when you have achieved STIFF consistency.

Take a small amount of icing between your fingers. If you can roll a little ball with no residue left in your fingers, you know the icing is TOO stif and your petals may break. Add a little more water and mix.

If you can roll a ball between your fingers and leave a small residue, the consistency is good to go.

A stiff consistency will allow you to make STIF peaks of icing as depicted in the picture below:

MEDIUM consistency is used for star tip decoration, borders, fiigure piping (3-dimensional shapes), flowers without stiff petals and bows.

The picture below are flowers made with medium consistency icing:

THIN consistency is used for icing the cake, lettering, outlines, dots, leaves and vines decoration.

 

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Add to the Buttercream Icing 3/4 cup of cocoa or 1 oz. of unsweetened melted chocolate and 1-2 tablespoons of water or milk to the recipe.  Mix until all ingredients have been mixed thoroughly.

HINT: to achieve a darker color you can use brown or black coloringon the recipe until you achieve the color desired.

 

Buttercream Icing (Yield: 3 cups)

The recipe shown here contains shortening.  You can substitute the shortening with butter (see amount below). However, this recipe with shortening is one of the best for making flowers and roses, since the shortening helps create a good icing texture and consistency for decorating.

Ingredients:

1 cup white vegetable shortening (Crisco)

2 tablespoons of water or milk (this amount of water will yield a stiff consistency)

1 teaspoon of clear vanilla flavoring (to keep the white color of the icing)*

1lb. confectioners’ sugar (pure cane works best)

1 tablespoon Meringue Powder 

A pinch of salt (optional-to cut down on the sweetness of the icing)

TIP: Sift your confectioners’ sugar to avoid sugar lumps that can clog your decorating tip. 

Directions:

In one large bowl, cream the shortening, flavoring, water.  Add the sugar and meringue powder in intervals while mixing on slow speed until the ingredients have mixed.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a Rubber Spatula.  Continue mixing at medium speed until all indredients have mixed thoroughly. 

Consistency:

Stiff consistency– See recipe above

Medium consistency– Add a teaspoon of water or milk per cup of icing above

Thin consistency– Add two teaspoons of water or milk per each cup of stiff consistency.  One teaspoon of water or milk per each cup of medium consistency icing.

Read more about Icing consistency here

* Substitute any flavoring to suit your taste (vanilla, almond, butter)

** Substitute shortening with 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of butter at room temperature