Yep, just light syrup and chocolate. No powdered sugar, no mm, no gelatin, often no coloring needed, and most of all no headaches (for me anyways), lol! Not to say that everyone would find it to be better than fondant, but for me it definitely is....I love the stuff. Most of the pics in my photos are of cakes made with it.

Yes, you can cover cakes with it just like you can with fondant. Actually, I'm surprised more people don't use it or talk about it. Again, it's all a matter of preference, but it took me two or three tries with it before I never looked back. Mike from Mike's Amazing Cakes apparently uses it all the time, as does Susan Morgan from Elegant Cheesecakes.

anasasi, are you talking about the Wilton candy melts?

I make mm fondant this way... 3 tablespoons water, 1 16 oz bag large marshmallows, 2 lb powdered sugar. I sub out some of the water for candy flavoring that way you can flavor it anything you like!! Fruity flavors that taste like starbursts, carmel, coffee, butter nut.... really anything!

Yes, that's what I use simply because they come in lots of colors and it tastes good mixed with the syrup. Although I'm pretty sure you can use any chocolate you like.

Thanks anasasi, I am going to try your recipe, it looks & sounds great.

You're welcome superstar. Just a note: I would roll it out slightly less than a 1/4" if you can. It tastes great, but remember it's chocolate and you might find it slightly heavier than fondant. Not that it's ever weighed down my cakes at all but whenever I eat too much chocolate I end up with a belly ache, lol! Oh, and if you do use the Wilton melts for the modeling clay they all have a mildly different flavor to them....dark chocolate and red are two of my family's favorites.

dellboi2u, I never thought of using candy to flavor mmf. That's an awesome idea! Coffee's gotta be great. Have you tried Kahlua? Does alcohol work well in the mix?

Thanks anasasi...I am going to have to try it one day!

Wow, anasasi, thanks! I had no idea. I'm going to try it this weekend. Thanks so much for the info!

Anasasi, is the texture like fondant?
I made candy clay once with karo and wilton melts, but it seemed kinda greasy to me and was easy to leave behind fingerprints on it. Maybe it was my recipe.
It was also very hard until warmed up, almost solid. Does your recipe do this?
I have been wanting to try it again, and I love Mike's Amazing Cakes! His modeling chocolate seems much more forgiving than my candy clay!

Sure thing, let me know how you like it

I had the same experience as sugarMomma with modeling chocolate in the past...I would like to give it another try though...thanks anasasi.

Sugarmomma, yep I had this exeperience the first couple of times too. A few things can contribute to this. I experimented with different ratios (the Wilton recipe was terrible for me...I think it was something like 1/3 cup syrup to a 14 ounce bag of chocolate, don't quote me though), and using the recipe found in the book "Cake Art" by the Culinary Institute of America, I reduced the syrup from 1 cup to approximately 2/3 cup. Slight deviations from that or simply not using the exact amount of chocolate (I weigh it, 16 oz for dark and 24 oz for white or colored) can result in a greasy mix initially. The other thing is overheating the chocolate might cause the fat to seperate. Melt it in 30 sec intervals and stop immediately after there is no solid piece left. Also, if you overwork the chocolate when mixing it with the syrup you can end up with a greasy mix. As soon as you see it coming together or balling up, stop stirring. I've learned that if the final mix is too greasy you can actually do what's called "milking" the chocolate after it's mixed. You simply absorb some of the liquid (though not all or it will result in a dry clay) with a paper towel if it's too watery.

It sounds harder than it really is though, honestly! After a few tries you'll know just when it's ready. It is supposed to get hard in order to set prior to kneading it. I NEVER heat it up after this though. Again, this might cause the fat to seperate from the chocolate. When it's hard I take it out and let it about 15 minutes prior to kneading it. If it's still hard then I break it in chunks to work it (really, this is the hardest part of making it).

In regards to fingerprints, I always use gloves when working with it. This is for two reasons: 1. prolonged heat from your hands can soften it (if this happens just throw it in the fridge for a couple of mnutes and it will firm up) and 2. To eliminate tranferring any oil from my hands to the chocolate, or eliminate fingerprints.

Oh, I actually like the sheen I get from the modeling chocolate, so when I've had the cake set in the fridge I sometimes smooth it out with a very, very thin coat of crisco (I promise you can't taste it). However, if you don't like this look then just leave the finished cake in ther fridge. When it has chilled it will definitely result in a matte finish.

Sorry this is so long, I guess my point is you really have to work with it a few times to see what works best for you. Kind of like my first few runs at mmf and figuring out how much crisco/cornstarch to use when rolling it out, all the while trying not to ruin the consistency. For me the end result was worth hanging in there because it makes my life easier.

HTH

Thanks for taking time to explain all that, it does help ease my concerns.

I just read about Fondarific http://www.fondarific.com/ . I saw it on the forum yesterday and there has been lots of good reviews about the texture and the many flavors, it is a little bit more expensive than Satin Ice, but some swear to be loyal to this brand. The is also a sample pack you can get for $6.99 just to taste and feel the texture of it. Here is the website that offers it: http://www.cakesupplies4u.com/Products/Fondarific-Flavors-Sample-Kit__SKF1.aspx

Sorry that link didn't work, go to this

http://www.cakesupplies4u.com/

then scroll down and look at the featured products, it should be there labeled "Fondarific Sample Flavors".

When I first started decorating cakes, I didn't like the taste of fondant either, it was much too sweet. But now I add up to 50 % marcipan to the fondant and I love it.
But just as with so many other things, it is always a matter of taste. Some like it, some don't, and as long as they like the decorating, it doesn't matter to me.

I think I have to try the light syrup and chocolate melts, sounds so much easier. A quick question, do I add the syrup to the chips before they are melted or is this for after? Best way to store it? What do you use to roll it with, cornstarch, ps, crisco, wooden rolling pin, plastic, silicone? Sorry so many questions just want to get it right. I am making my own b-day cake tonight (which I don't even eat cake, I am a meat and potatoes girl) just to try new things. Thanks for any help...

I'm one of the people who peel fondant off - and so are virtually all of my coworkers. I've tried a couple of different brands and I just think it's nasty stuff. Too sweet, chewy, pasty...ick!

I also dislike working with the stuff, and feel faintly nauseated at the idea of eating something that has been SO manipulated and handled.

I do want to try modelling chocolate as a rolled icing though...I've been toying with that idea for a while now...just have to get over my aversion to using candy melts.

I'd recommend FondX flavorwise. It's closer to an icing flavor than other fondants I've tried. I do like the flavor of the chocolate based fondants, but it's still not something I want on my cake. I do peel off the fondant, but I eat it separate.

I heard about this too. Placed an order for the sample last week out of curiosity. I actually went to the website after catching Ace of Cakes using it in the last episode. They say that it doesn't harden like regular fondant, just becomes slightly firm but soft to bite. Has anyone on this thread tried it?

Oops, I meant to say I was referring to the Fondarific in the above post.

butterfly831915, you add warmed syrup to the already melted chips/chocolate. Careful not to overheat the chips, just microwave in 30 second intervals and stop exactly when there is no solid chocolate left. Stream the warm syrup into the chocolate while stirring the mix. It will look greasy at first, but as you continue to stir it'll start to come together into a sort of balled up mixture...that's when you know it's ready. At that point you just pour it onto a tray lined with freezer paper & sprayed with baking pam or any non-stick spray. Wrap it up tightly and refrigerate the mixture for a few hours or overnight. You'll find that it becomes rather hard when set.

When you're ready to use just set it out at room temp for about 10-15 minutes and knead it (use gloves so as not transfer any oil from your hands onto the chocolate). I sometimes have to break it in pieces if it's too hard to knead and then combine the pieces together when it's pliable. Once that's done just wrap it as you would fondant, and DEFINITELY store it in the fridge. Not that it isn't shelf stable, but I find it to become dry and crumbly sometimes if you follow Wilton's suggestion to leave it at room temp. It'll stay good in the fridge for about 1 month and you can also freeze it for up to 3 months (some say longer but I'm paranoid so I go with the 3 months).

From there just the modelling chocolate as you would fondant. I use a light coating of Crisco and dusted cornstarch to roll it out (again, handle it with gloves on). The cholate can react to the warmth of your hands or if you have it out too long, causing it to soften up. If this happens just throw it in the fridge for a minute or so and it will become firm again.

canadianchick, you can use regular chocolate if you dislike the chocolate melts....if that helps any