Hi,
I have seen and heard of people rolling out fondant in different ways:
With shortening on your rolling area
With corn starch on your rolling area
With confectioners' sugar on your rolling area
With one silicone mat on your rolling area
With two sheets of plastic on your rolling area
Oy!
What method do you prefer?
I will tell you what I don't like. Powder sugar. I cannot brush it out of my fondant! The only other method I have used is CS. I would love to try a silicone mat. Interested to see what people with more experience have to say.
I used to use icing sugar and I hate it! I found it dried out the fondant and I could never get it off!
I now use shortening and a mat and I will never turn back! My fondant has never looked so smooth and polished!
Currently all I have is the Wilton mat (which I hate with a burning passion) and I HAVE to use shortening with it. Anything else and the fondant gets thrown at the wall (tehe). I don't have a nice stainless steel or granite countertop. I don't have nice vinyl mats. I'm also currently unemployed, so I'm stuck with my shortening and Wilton mat as any money that comes in is saved for bills. Can't wait for the day when I can get some big girl supplies, lol.
I'm pretty sure the mat I bought is called Daneco???(I'll check and get back to you) it was actually way cheaper than the wilton mat and is supposed to be used for cookies/pies/pastry, but I use it for fondant and I love it! I'll get back to you guys with the name. It was under $10.
just bought the sweetwise mats and rolled it between the two....AWESOME!! They have a demo on YouTube....and it is as easy as she makes it look. Look up sweetwise and how to cover a cake with fondant using the mat.
Do you live in TN? Or is that too personal to ask? 
I too hate using powdered sugar, because you can never get it completely off the fondant. What has been working for me is the use of shortening (lightly coated, of course). The Wilton mat is garbage and I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT. The ends curl and it slides all over the place even after putting a cloth or my Silpat underneath it. I am thinking about buying the Sweetwise mat. (saw the video) It received mixed reviews from CC decorators in the post I read a few weeks ago.
Have any of you that use the Sweet Wise mats taken the fondant class with them?
I use freezer paper, I think that is what its called. I read somewhere on here about it and had some at home and it works great. Use the smooth side, not the paper side and you dont even have to use shortning or cs. I think its in the stores by the foil. Its 18" wide and comes in a roll. Also you dont have to remove the fondant from the paper and risk it tearing, just turn it over and place on cake and peal the paper off.
barb419 that sounds like an awesome idea! I'm definitely trying that! Thankyou!
Large silicon mat and large silicon rolling pin.
Never need to use powdered sugar and no way will i use cornflour (cornstarch) - worst thing to use with fondant of any kind. 
WHY ???
Because cornflour (cornstarch) when in contact with moisture will ferment after just a few days....-and this is very risky for those who are going to consume your cakes.
You won't see it - you won't smell it once your cake is covered and decorated - but the fermenting will be there...
Plus, the fermenting can cause bulging in your cakes...and if you ever see a brown liquid oozing from your cakes - then thats the fermntation process happening.... 
Seriously - Get yourself the silicon products - nothing sticks - and so easy to lift your fondant from to cover your cakes. 
plus you know your cakes will be healthy to consume...
Bluehue
Because cornflour (cornstarch) when in contact with moisture will ferment after just a few days....-and this is very risky for those who are going to consume your cakes.
Bluehue
Wow, I didn't know know that. Thank you for posting that information for us.
I use freezer paper, I think that is what its called. I read somewhere on here about it and had some at home and it works great. Use the smooth side, not the paper side and you dont even have to use shortning or cs. I think its in the stores by the foil. Its 18" wide and comes in a roll. Also you dont have to remove the fondant from the paper and risk it tearing, just turn it over and place on cake and peal the paper off.
Is this wax paper?
I use freezer paper, I think that is what its called. I read somewhere on here about it and had some at home and it works great. Use the smooth side, not the paper side and you dont even have to use shortning or cs. I think its in the stores by the foil. Its 18" wide and comes in a roll. Also you dont have to remove the fondant from the paper and risk it tearing, just turn it over and place on cake and peal the paper off.
Is this wax paper?
Its not wax paper. Its the paper butchers use for meat. If you go get a cow or deer butchered they wrap the meat in this paper. One side is smooth, I guess like wax paper, and the other side is like regular paper you write on.
I use to use crisco, but now i use PS and the wilton mat and rolling pin. PS the wilton mat is garbage. If I wasn't to short I think I would do it right on the counter top. I have to se the mat and my kitchen table. I like the PS I have never had a problem with getting it off the fondant unless its really dark. I felt like crisco didnt give me a nice satinish finish. but i have been thinking of trying it out again now that i have alil more experience
I use 2 clear vinyl mats and roll my fondant between the two with a miniscule amount of shortening. I can flip it over, turn it around, lift it straight onto the cake from my mat. I would never use powdered sugar or cornstarch again. Those are so mess. When I'm finished, I simply wipe my mats off with hot soapy water and dry. Then I roll them up and store them in an old wrapping paper tube. When I want to use them again, I take them out, wipe them off with a little soapy water/dry/and rub on a tiny amount of shortening, and I'm ready to go again. Plus the fondant doesn't get dried out between the 2 sheets of vinyl, so I can roll it out for decorations and just take small amounts at a time and leave the rest in between so it doesn't dry out. Love it.
I don't know about the fermetation being such an issue, powdered sugar is sugar and cornstarch, so that would be fermenting right along with the fondant if you use that in the icing. I only cover fondant cakes the day before I deliver them anyway, so I use cornstarch on the counter. I've never had brown liquid seeping from any of my cakes, though, gross!
I used to use a mat, but I find it to be something extra to mess with, and it's hard to keep them clean, so I just go the simple route now and don't mess with anything extra.
I use a light spray of canola oil, or sometimes icing sugar but when i ice my cake the side with the sugar on it is underneath so i dont have to worry about it coming off and still showing.
"I don't know about the fermetation being such an issue, powdered sugar is sugar and cornstarch, so that would be fermenting right along with the fondant if you use that in the icing" by costumeczar
In Australia we have two sorts of icing sugar available: Icing sugar is just pure fine sugar, and Icing Mixture which is a combination of icing sugar and cornflour.
I have heard of fermentation too particularly when icing fruit cakes.
I use a light spray of canola oil, or sometimes icing sugar but when i ice my cake the side with the sugar on it is underneath so i dont have to worry about it coming off and still showing.
"I don't know about the fermetation being such an issue, powdered sugar is sugar and cornstarch, so that would be fermenting right along with the fondant if you use that in the icing" by costumeczar
In Australia we have two sorts of icing sugar available: Icing sugar is just pure fine sugar, and Icing Mixture which is a combination of icing sugar and cornflour.
I have heard of fermentation too particularly when icing fruit cakes.
I figured, I know that Bluehue is in Australia, so there are different types of cakes and icings used there than there are here. I wouldn't put fondant on a fruitcake anyway, even though I know that people do that traditionally. I want to eat all that brandy-goodness on its own, no fondant involved! Funny, I don't like brandy on its own but I loove it in a fruitcake.
I use a light spray of canola oil, or sometimes icing sugar but when i ice my cake the side with the sugar on it is underneath so i dont have to worry about it coming off and still showing.
"I don't know about the fermetation being such an issue, powdered sugar is sugar and cornstarch, so that would be fermenting right along with the fondant if you use that in the icing" by costumeczar
In Australia we have two sorts of icing sugar available: Icing sugar is just pure fine sugar, and Icing Mixture which is a combination of icing sugar and cornflour.
Indeed, thats why i only ever buy Pure Icing Sugar...no cornflour in it. Thus the difference in price.
I think our food safe regulations and health regulations are different to that of the States.
Its the same as old flour - that gets a smell about it.
*shudder* -
Oh well - i know what i know - i know what i have seen - and thats enough for me not to have cornflour near any of my cakes.... my returning customers are to precious to me.
Not only that - it makes the cake smell if there is any left after 3 days -
..
I have heard of fermentation too particularly when icing fruit cakes.
Very true - again because people don't know or just don't care what they use ....
Bluehue
I use a light spray of canola oil, or sometimes icing sugar but when i ice my cake the side with the sugar on it is underneath so i dont have to worry about it coming off and still showing.
"I don't know about the fermetation being such an issue, powdered sugar is sugar and cornstarch, so that would be fermenting right along with the fondant if you use that in the icing" by costumeczar
In Australia we have two sorts of icing sugar available: Icing sugar is just pure fine sugar, and Icing Mixture which is a combination of icing sugar and cornflour.
Indeed, thats why i only ever buy Pure Icing Sugar...no cornflour in it. Thus the difference in price.
I think our food safe regulations and health regulations are different to that of the States.
Its the same as old flour - that gets a smell about it.
*shudder* -
Oh well - i know what i know - i know what i have seen - and thats enough for me not to have cornflour near any of my cakes.... my returning customers are to precious to me.
Not only that - it makes the cake smell if there is any left after 3 days -
..
I have heard of fermentation too particularly when icing fruit cakes.
Very true - again because people don't know or just don't care what they use ....
Bluehue
As far as I know there's only the cornstarch/sugar combo in the US, unless superfine sugar is another name for icing sugar. I don't think that I'd use superfine sugar to roll anything out, though, so it might be something differnet. Maybe it's superfine sugar ground up even more?
Here you go - look under the heading of sugars and syrups -
Australia is the same as the UK.
http://www.miketodd.net/encyc/cooking-ingredients.htm
Actually, not a bad little page - rather informative ...
Bluehue
But then they've left off the pure sugar that you were mentioning. Is that just the same as the confectioner's sugar but without the cornstarch? The cornstarch is there basically to keep the sugar from clumping up, as far as I understand it. I had to make my own icing sugar once for a girl who was allergic to corn, and I just ground regular sugar up very very fine in a food processor. Actually, I'll just assume that the pure icing sugar is that, since I need to go to bed now, I'm tiiiiiired.
Currently all I have is the Wilton mat (which I hate with a burning passion) and I HAVE to use shortening with it. Anything else and the fondant gets thrown at the wall (tehe). I don't have a nice stainless steel or granite countertop. I don't have nice vinyl mats. I'm also currently unemployed, so I'm stuck with my shortening and Wilton mat as any money that comes in is saved for bills. Can't wait for the day when I can get some big girl supplies, lol.
I found that if I wet the table a little first and rolled the mat out that it kind of stuck to the table and didn't move around on me if that is the problem you were having this might help you as well.
But then they've left off the pure sugar that you were mentioning. Is that just the same as the confectioner's sugar but without the cornstarch?
Correct - i had to run off and answer phone The cornstarch is there basically to keep the sugar from clumping up, as far as I understand it. I had to make my own icing sugar once for a girl who was allergic to corn, and I just ground regular sugar up very very fine in a food processor. Actually, I'll just assume that the pure icing sugar is that,Yes - PURE ICING SUGAR
since I need to go to bed now, I'm tiiiiiired.11.35AM Tuesday morning over her on the west coast of Oz
Bluehue
I started out using the Wilton mat, but now it's just vinyl! No messing around with sugar, cornstarch, or shortening anymore! And you can't make me go back!!!
Large silicon mat and large silicon rolling pin.
Because cornflour (cornstarch) when in contact with moisture will ferment after just a few days....
Bluehue
That is absolutely disgusting!
Thank u soo much for the information
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