I have had this problem on several occasions now... what I call Gravel Fondant...and I can not determine the cause... therefore cannot prevent it.

Just last night I made 2 batches of MMF to use on cakes I have this weekend. I used 16oz of Kraft Marshmallows, 2T of water... heated in a greased dish in the microwave, added 3/4 of the 2lb bag of C&H Powdered Sugar and mixed with a greased spoon until I no longer could. Then I greased my clean hands with Crisco, and got down to kneading... if it was a lil wet, I added a tiny bit more sugar. After it was kneaded really well and felt good, I added more Crisco to the ball and wrapped in Saran wrap and then into a Ziplock bag, and left them on the counter top.

So today, I get one of the batches, color it as needed... made some balls, booties, a bow, some flowers with no problem.

Later I get the other batch to cover a cake (no color) and I get it unwrapped and begin to knead it.... it feels like gravel in my MMF! I tear off a small ball and knead on it for a while... there is no hope... there is no way I'm putting that on my cake. (so I made a fresh batch... and covered my cake)

This is so aggravating.. its like I have to purchase extra ingredients just incase my MMF turns out bad. This is not the 1st time it's happened. The last time I had used WalMart brand powdered sugar (which I sifted) and WalMart brand MM. So this time I used REAL brands... with the same effect.

This makes me want to throw the towel in...

Has this happened to you? Am I doing something wrong?!?!

I don't know what to say... The only time my mmf gets a little stranget is when I add it a lot of blue color.
I never use fat to make my mmf.... Just marshmallows, sugar and drops of water.

I use 1/4 cup of water instead of 2T, and the whole bag of sugar. I always use Kraft and C&H.

Do you sift your powdered sugar? I use a strainer and a spoon to sift the sugar, whether I'm making it in the KA or by hand. It sounds like maybe your issue is that a little humidity has gotten into the bag of sugar, maybe from a tiny hole in the bag, and made lumps.

Thank ya

I find if I sift the powdered sugar first it works a little better. I don't buy bags of powdered sugar, I get it in the bulk section of my store and found sometimes I would have little lumps of sugar in my fondant that took forever to need out. I don't understand why one of your batches would be fine and the other grainy though.

Thanks paulstonia! I dont either, I've sifted and not sifted.