So I had been using MMF but I just couldn't get it quite right and then tried the recipe below and LOVED it!! However, it was a little too soft and pliable which made it difficult to cover a larger cake. My question is: what ingredient is responsible for the elasticity - corn syrup or glycerin? And by how much do you think I could adjust it?

Thanks so much!!!



1 Tbsp of unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup of cold water
1 tsp of almond extract
1/2 cup of light corn syrup (If a corn syrup is not available, you can substitute it with a sugar syrup made with 1-1/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup water, boiled together until syrupy)
1 Tbsp of glycerin (some recipes say its optional, believe me, its a must)
2 lbs 10X confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp of white vegetable shortening


First, sprinkle the gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let it rest for 2 minutes to soften. Next, place the bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds on High, until the gelatin dissolves. After that, add the Almond extract and the corn syrup and the glycerin and stir until the mixture is smooth and clear (if the mixture is not turning smooth and clear, microwave it for an additional 15 to 20 seconds on high and stir again). Then, sift 1 1/2 pounds of the sugar into a large bowl. Besides that, make a hole in the sugar and pour the liquid mixture to it stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes sticky. Next, sift some of the remaining 1/2 pound of sugar onto a smooth work surface and add as much of the remaining sugar as the mixture will take. After that, knead the fondant, adding a little more sugar if necessary, to form a smooth, pliable mass. Then, rub the vegetable shortening on your thumbs and knead it into the fondant. And wrap the fondant in plastic wrap and place it in a tightly sealed container to prevent it from drying out. Last, If the icing dries out and harden it can often be revived by popping it into a microwave oven for a few seconds and then kneading it back to life.

That's the Toba Garrett recipe. I've made it.

I chose that among 15 fondant recipes. It works. I wanted to try Michelle Foster's fondant, too, but haven't done it yet.

What I wanted to tell you is that I changed something in the recipe. It was about the same recipe as the one I had on a DVD (Making Fabulous Fondant). But, the woman in the DVD makes it a point to tell you that she wants you to use glucose and not light corn syrup. She shows you what they both look like. Glucose is really thick.

I replaced the light corn syrup with glucose in Toba Garrett's recipe, and it worked.

http://www.globalsugarart.com/product.php?id=23525&name=Glucose%20-%201%20pound%20Jar%20by%20CK

Light corn syrup is glucose with water and flavoring added to it. That's why it's thicker than corn syrup.

If you're going to use corn syrup instead of glucose then try cutting back a little bit on the water and see if that helps.

Here's that other recipe. If you notice, it's a double-batch of the one you posted, and it's very similar. I added glycerine to it.

http://www.createandcraft.tv/common/images/campaign/cricut-cake/downloads/Cricut-Cake-Fondant.pdf

This is her website:

http://www.carriescakes.com/cakes

And this is the DVD that recipe comes from:

http://www.carriescakes.com/store