I have been on a quest to find better tasting fondant, and rather than spending $25 to have stuff shipped to me, I decided to try it on my own....
In the past 3 days I have made MMF (Marshmallow Fondant), Rolled Butter Cream, and the Cream Cheese Fondant. All tasted good, but were not great to work with. The MMF was so dry and after sitting for 2 days got so hard I couldn't even roll it out smoothly (even after putting it in the microwave! The Rolled Buttercream was SO greasy and would stick to my rolling pin, and the Cream Cheese Fondant was just too soft. I feel that the consistancy the I made was comparable to Wilton Fondant, just didn't work the same.

I am soooo frustrated right now! Has anyone tried mixing the Wilton fondant with one of these other fondants to make it taste better? I can't find a place to order Satin Ice or one of the others I have heard about, that doesn't charge a fortune to ship. I don't have any suppliers in my area, at least that I have found. Anyway, just venting my frustrations...! I knew they were all too good to be true!

I'm so glad you posted this. Just yesterday I posted asking for people's favorites since I'm about to venture on my own into homemade fondant. I think all of the homemade ones are great on taste but I really want to know how easy they are to work with. It seems that a big favorite is Rhonda's MMF. I just haven't been able to try it because it calls for some specialty ingredients. I hope you get more answers!!!

I would try Michele-Fosters It's great to work with and the tatste is wonderful . This one was the keeper for me when I tried them all out.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-3663-Michele-Fosters-Delicious-Fondant.html

This is the MMF recipe that works for me: http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm

If it was cracking up and then got too hard to work with, sounds like you didn't put enough water in or you put too much powdered sugar.

The MMF I tried was only marshmallow and water, and it only called for 2 TBSP of water. I thought it might be too dry... so maybe I will try that one again. Thanks for the tip!

. . . I've only ever used Satin Ice . . . but if I was going to try to make my own I might be inclined to try this one (based on reviews) . . . http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2249-11-European-Fondant.html

I prefer to purchase Satin Ice, but if I were to make it myself, I would second Michele Foster's recipe. It is yummy, melt in your mouth!

Fondantsource . com has really good prices on Satin Ice and if you put cakecentral in the coupon code line you get 10 % off for being a member of CC. I only use Satin Ice and now Michele Foster's Fondant.

Looking at the ingredients, it was Michele's that I was referring too, not Rhonda's. Now I'm not sure if that was something else I heard or something I just made up Can you get glycerin just anywhere? I don't have any cake supply stores near me. Just Michael's and Joann's.

After trying many recipes and some pre-made fondants, I love Michelle Foster's recipe. I too can't afford the shipping costs but Michelle Foster's is terrific.

HTH

Is it possible to make Michele Foster's recipe if I don't have a KA? I have a stand mixer but it is just a Sunbeam. It's great for icing but I'm not sure it can hold up to fondant.

Yes you can buy glycerin at Michael's. I buy it through Countrykitchen. I get a 20 oz bottle for almost 8.00. But you can always use a 50% off at Michaels. They sell the wilton brand which I think is 2 oz for 3.00.

Here's the mmf I use, It's great tasting and good to work with. Make sure you use a big piece of vinyl to roll it out on. You can get some at the fabric store. Works like a dream!!!

MARSHMALLOW FONDANT RECIPE

Place in microwavable bowl:
1/4 cup Crisco
8oz. (4 cups) mini marshmallows)
2 T. water
1 T. Glycerine (reserve) helps with elasticity and softness (this is the secret)
4 cups SIFTED powdered sugar (reserve)

Microwave on high for about 1 minute. Stop and stir if overflowing. Finish microwaving a few more seconds. Remove from microwave and stir. Now, add the reserved glycerine. Stir to combine. Add the above marshmallow mix to 4 cups SIFTED pd. sugar. Stir until combined, then knead with hands, slightly greased with Crisco. If too sticky after kneading add a little sifted pd. sugar. If too dry add a few drops water. Knead on vinyl mat.

*If wanting to add 1/2 teaspoon of any flavoring, subtract that amount from the 2 T. water in the beginning.
*If wanting one color of fondant add coloring to whole batch of melted marshmallows. It takes more time to knead it in later.
*Only problems I've had with this recipe is trying to make really deep red or black colors.

Try it! You might like it! (Quoted from: Green Eggs and Ham)

I thought about making my own too but was afraid it would vary too much from batch to batch.

Do they?
I like Petinice myself, some of the girls from the cake club get together to buy in bulk (1,000 pounds) to get it cheaper.

I love Fondx. It tastes great and is a dream to work with. If you buy $200 worth of stuff they (Caljava) ships for free

Thanks cocobean! Since that's a hand mixed one and since I don't have a double boiler, that might be a good one for me to start with. Does this one need to rest for 24 hours? Off to Michael's for some glycerin

I use Satin Ice for black, red, etc., and like it, but recently I have been making Toba Garrett's recipe. It is delicious. I don't use my mixer at all. I use a wooden spoon until it is unmanageable, then remove my rings and use my hands.
-Debbie B.

I started out with MMF and have had no complaints about it but I recently tried Michele Foster's and it is fabulous!!!! I would definately recommend that one!!!

Michele Fosters is YUMMO, and MMF is great to make if you just need a little bit. Michele's makes about 4 pounds, and costs around $8 (here in Calgary). I buy glycerine from KitchenKrafts and despite the shipping, it's still cheaper than Michael's. You use about 1/2 of the bottle for one recipe.

Over the past couple months I have tried Wilton, Satin Ice, Marshmallow Fondant, Rose Levy Beranbaum's fondant recipe from the Cake Bible, and then finally Michele Foster's fondant, and never looked back. Michele's was by far the best tasting and the easiest to work with for me. You can find her recipe here on CC.

AmazingGraceCakes, there's no step for adding flavor. Is it just like Michele's? Do I just take out an equal amount of water for the amount of flavor I add? What flavor do you prefer?

bizatchgirl, you don't need to let the, recipe I have, rest. You can, but if you are in a hurry, it seems to work just fine.

I used to use MMF but it drove me crazy because I could never get it quite right. I now use Toba Garrett's fondant recipe and love it.

OK, I'm not sure I'm too happy with my first attempt. I do have little sugar bumps which http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm says to let it rest if you have those. I'm just being impatient and didn't want to wait. But I have 2 issues. 1 - I don't think it tastes much better than the Wiltons. Not enough to be worth all of the hassle (except it does save money!). 2 - it just doesn't seem very pliable. I will give it a second chance though because I really wasn't prepared, which probably didn't help. I don't have any vinyl, so I had no way of lifting it onto the cake, I don't have a large enough microwavable bowl for 16 oz of marshmallows, I didn't have a 16 oz bag of marshmallows, I had 2 10 oz bags so who knows if I measured right. My glass table moves when I try to knead with any sort of pressure (see no vinyl!)...I'm going to do a blind taste test when my boys get home.

Someone asked about using a KA to make fondant.....When I was making it, I would start with my KA, but would always have to end with hand mixing it, kneading in the last of the PS. I used to make my cookie dough by hand too. A KA is great, but not necessary.

Also, a double boiler is nothing more than a Pyrex bowl on top of a small sauce pan with water over heat. No special tool necessary for that one either.

I use the PegW MMF recipe too and I love it. I tried the recipe with glycerin and a double boiler and I prefer the ease of the MMF recipe. I add a tablespoon of glycerin or corn syrup and that really helps with the elasticity. I also and a couple of teaspoons of vanilla if I don't need it to be pure white. I get raves about the taste!

I usually get just a 10 oz bag of mini marchmallows as that seems to be all I can find around here. I don't really measure anything either.... I throw the marshmallows and some (maybe a tablespoon) of water into a bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds, stir, and microwave for 30 more seconds. Then I add about 2 tablespoons of corn syrup and 2 teaspoons of vanilla and about a 1/4 cup of crisco. I add 1 lb of powdered suger and mix, then slowly add more ps till its kneadable. Then I turn it out onto a greased and powdered counter and knead in more ps. I don't usually use a whole 2lb bag before its the perfect consistancy.

With this recipe I really think its more about feeling the right consistancy and less about exact measurements. I've never had a bad batch and its always a dream to work with.

I love using SI... same consistancy all the time and no mess. I also have lots of people that say they love the taste and texture of it. The decorations I use seem to melt into the icing... and it isn't a bit chewy.

I also used MMF for a long time... and would always put a couple of tsp. of crisco in it. Just got tired of making my own.. clean up after making the cakes.. clean up after making BC AND clean up after making fondant.... if I could cut out one it was the fondant making

I just started decorating cakes and became real interested in working with fondant. The first recipe I tried was PegW MMF. I did have a few problems with it sticking but once I prepped the counter right it's been a dream to decorate with. I usually make and color the fondant and my wife does most of the decorating.