Okay... I must have done something wrong because it was not hard, not ridiculously messy, and not frustrating. Maybe it's because I approached this thinking it was going to be a miserable experience, and, it just wasn't! I stood there at the kitchen counter kneading and kneading watching Everybody loves Raymond and having a grand ol' time. It's sitting all wrapped up in a nice little ball on the counter. (airtight!) Now I'm anxious to cover a cake, but that wasn't on the agenda for this weekend. So, how long will it keep? Thanks for all the wonderful posts explaining how to do this step-by-step.


Lisa

Congratulations! Can you share your recipe you used? I haven't made it yet, but I really want to. I haven't done anything with fondant yet, but I have all the supplies to get started.

Good luck on decorating your cake!

Whoo-Hoo!!! Yeah!!! Isn't it great? I freaked out and put it off for months till I finally got in the mood to make it and it was no big deal. I've made it several times now. Try it with the strawberry and the chocolate marshmallows too!

Okay, I keep my crisco greased and saran wrapped up tightly, and then stored in air tight tupperware. It lasts what seems like forever.
Next time you need some, take it out and microwave it for only about 6 seconds. It softens up quickly. It's wonderful!

Which MMF did you use?

I used the tutorial in the "how to" section called "how to make and decorate with MMF." It was sooo easy to follow. I wasn't planning to make a cake this weekend as I have other things I need to do, but now I'm just dying to make a cake to see if I can do it! I have an idea of a design I've been wanting to do and I knew it would look better on fondant than buttercream so I had to give it the old college try and see if it works. If the cake turns out half-way decent, I'll post it.

Stay tuned for "the rest of the story," as Paul Harvey says....

Thanks for your replies!

Lisa

PS Have you ever written a whole paragraph on this forum and then hit a smiley face at the end and for some stupid reason it jumps up to the beginning and deletes all that you wrote??? ARRRGGGGHHH.....

When that happens with the smiley face, all you have to do is right click and select "undo" and your paragraph will re-appear.

That is so fantastic! Congrats. The one time I tried it I must have done something terribly wrong. First it was REALLY REALLY sticky, so I added more PS, then it was like old chewing gum and so hard to knead it was horrible. I tried rolling it and it was NOT working, so I finally pitched the whole batch in the garbage. I was disappointed too because the taste was good. I would like that on a cake better than traditional fondant.
I've been too afraid to try again.
BUT, since you posted, you have given me hope. I think I'll have to give it another go one of these days.

I posted a detailed "how-to" plus tips in a recipe that hasn't been posted yet (I submitted it yesterday). It will be titled "marshmallow fondant - MacsMom's variation".

I coat mine in Crisco, wrap well and freeze it - it thaws perfectly, even if put straight into the micro, and lasts forever!

Macsmom~ I will definately be waiting for YOUR recipe as your cakes are beautiful!!!

I made MMF about 2 weeks ago, too! And I was so worried, but it was so easy and turned out great, and tastes great. I was also wondering how long it would keep?
I am so glad I'm not the only one that is afraid to try things, and then suprises myself when it works!

Well poop, it still isn't posted... But here it is:

Marshmallow Fondant - MacsMom's variation
My whole plan of action was to make an excellent tasting, great functioning MMF and after raves about Fondarific's buttercream flavored fondant I had to come up with my own. Mine is really based on Rhonda's Ultimate MMF since I loved working with hers, but with a few subtle changes.

16 oz mini-marshmallows
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon glycerine
2 drams of LoRann butter flavor *(it is the strongest and tastiest flavoring, but you may use 2 teaspoons of another butter extract, adding an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract)
1 teaspoon popcorn salt (I grind my own salt in a coffee grinder - if you don't, you may get crystallization that leaves your fondant covered cake pock-marked)
Food coloring if using
2 lbs powdered sugar

Grease a large microwave-safe bowl with either shortening or non-stick spray. Pour in the marshmallows and sprinkle with water. Melt about 1 minute (don't go over 90 seconds or it will get make the MMF tough).

Add the rest of the ingredients except the powdered sugar, including food coloring if desired, and stir with a greased sturdy spatula (again, you can use non-stick spray) .

Add a small amount of PS at first to absorb moisture and avoid clumping - about 1/2 c. Then you can add larger amounts, trying to get as much mixed in as possible with each addition. When I have half of the bag of PS left, I dump it in and knead with my greased hands (it's faster).

MMF can be temperamental so it's good to get to know it at this point--what it should feel like before wrapping it in plastic wrap. If it is too soft it will be hard to work with; too hard isn't nearly as bad but you still want to find that happy medium.

When it is humid, rainy or foggy, or hot outside, MMF sometimes requires more PS than a 2 lb bag. That is the main reason I try to knead in every bit of PS I can between additions. Perfect weather sometimes calls for less PS.

It's hard to explain the proper texture, that's why you have to have a bit of patience with trial and error. It should be firm enough not to droop when you hold the ball on your palm, yet remain pliable.

So once your MMF is ready to be wrapped, rub the ball with a small amount of shortening and wrap in plastic wrap to rest for several hours.

When it's time for use you'll have to soften it in the microwave for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. But be forwarned that smaller amount of MMF (leftovers) need a much shorter amount of time in the micro to soften. Be careful not to get it too soft or it will be miserable to work with.

If it gets too soft you can add cornstarch to it. If that doesn't help enough you can knead in a little gumpaste or tylose powder to give it strength - but too much GP will make your MMF dry too hard, so be slight of hand.

Thanks for this very informative post, MacsMom. Do you grind popcorn salt or are you starting with regular table salt? I'm excited to try your recipe!

Put regular-old table salt in a clean coffee grinder

Thanks, MacsMom! I will try that one next. I threw a boxed cake mix in the oven earlier just so I'd have something to practice with today. I'm crossing my fingers.

Lisa

Okay. Practice is over. It turned out okay. The mmf was not hard to deal with at all. It only tore in one spot and that was when I was lifting it up and draping it. I fixed it easily. All in all, this was a good experience and I'll be trying it again!


Lisa

PS If you want to see it, look at my photos. It's the white one with the butterfly.