A Foray in Fondant

Making fondant and decorating with it has always been on the back burner of my To Do list. I've cut out recipes, tagged photo ideas, and told myself that one day, one day, I will be able to make it (and create masterpieces with it).

And then came today. I don't know what's with me, but in spite of the scorching mid afternoon heat, my heavy 7 month 8 month belly, my aching back, my fatigue, and the looong list of other more pressing things that need to be done, I decided to make fondant. AND I decided to decorate with it.

Mind you, although I used a cheat recipe involving a vast number of mini marshmallows doomed to be zapped and melted in the microwave, I still needed to literally grease my hands and knead the sticky mass into some pliable dough. I didn't think it would take all that muscle, but maybe it was because I couldn't get the right angle because my tummy was in the way of the table...or was it the table in the way of my tummy? After maybe 15 minutes of kneading (and looking for the right consistency while my baby fidgeted profusely in my belly), it was wrapped up and made to rest a couple of hours while this mommy had a nap.

Awake and somewhat refreshed, Hannah and I got to work. Out came the colors to be kneaded into the fondant, out came the cake which was to be covered with the icing, and out the window went my desire to decorate. It all just seemed a wee bit too much. Too much effort to color the icing. Too much effort to cover a cake. Too much effort create a masterpiece. Just too much effort. I had high hopes of being able to put something together as a dry run for the baptism of my little boy, but after seeing all the work that needed to go into creating those goodies that will be looked at for a while and eaten in a flash, I began to wonder if it was even worth all the hassle. And the thought that I would have to make those goodies MYSELF got me shaking my head in my own disbelief at how I managed to put myself in that you've-got-all-this-fondant-and-you're-now-stupid-if-you-don't-use-it situation.

So fine, I used the darned thing. I sliced it up, kneaded in the colors, rolled it out, and dressed ONE of the little cakes I had set aside for this purpose.

Let's just say fondant and I aren't friends...yet. Maybe another day will be more fruitful.

Oh, and the one thing that made me smile out of this whole experience? Upon his return from his afternoon outdoors, Enrique tried a little piece of the frosting and upon discovery that he could simply pluck the little fondant balls from my creation, would sneak back to eat my masterpiece.

Am glad someone approves.