I have tried MMF and Toba 's fondant, and I have the same issues with
both. It is either too soft and sticky and seems to stretch and not hold
any shape, or I add Powdered sugar to make it stiffer and then it cracks and becomes crumbly, I can't seem to get the happy medium. I have purchased some wilton fondant so I can feel the consistency that fondant should be, but when I make my fondant as stiff as the wilton, again it cracks and is crumbly. Any suggestions???

My best advice is use SatinIce.

I agree - use pre-made fondant - if you really like the taste of home-made, mix some with the pre-made fondant. You can try any brand, but Satin Ice is a good one. DO NOT use Wilton unless no one is going to eat it - structurally, it's great - taste-wise, it's absolutely disgusting. I've done home-made - several different recipes, and I've used pre-made fondant that I've had to order b/c it's not easily found here. Good luck.

is satin ice a homemade recipe or something that is bought? ive heard alot about it and wanted to know..if its a home recipe do you have the recipe?

So far I've had wonderful results with MMF. I don't add extra powdered sugar to it when I work with it, I use a light film of Crisco on my work surface and rolling pin.

Which recipe are you working with?

S.

I found that my MMF is not the same consistancy as store bought stuff, I try not to compare it.

I have had a lot of problems with my MMF in the past, I've only just found the right amout of everything to make it the consistancy that I can work well with.

Satin Ice is good, too!

I use this recipe I found here. http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-3183-4-Rhondas-Ultimate-MMF.html

My first batch of MMF was great. My second was awful. I almost gave up...

But then, I ran of out Pettinice, and tried some more MMF since I was in a pinch. This time though, I only used my KA (with the dough hook, and on speed 2) to add about half the bag of powdered sugar.

Then I put some more powdered sugar on the counter and kneaded it in until it felt about right to me. I figured if I didn't have enough, it would be easier to knead in a bit more later. Then I let it sit overnight, and it was perfect (I made 4 batches the same day, and they all turned out great!)

I think it's in the amount of powdered sugar you add (the second time, I dumped in the whole bag - whereas, now I only use about 3/4 of the bag - tops). Once you play with it a bit, you'll get it down. I prefer MMF for a lot of things because it doesn't dry out as fast as regular fondant.

When I was working on my dummy cakes for the convention I made home made fondant. It was on the softer side and I was having to pick up parts and move it around and needed it to not stretch so much. I added a little gum tex or tylose to it. Not a lot, but enough to give it a little stiffness so I could move it around okay, but not enough to make it dry super hard.

adding gum tex sounds interesting. How much exactly do you add?

I really don't measure it. Just start small, like 1/4th of a teaspoon then add more. Also if you can let it sit for a little while before using it when adding the gum tex. It will stiffen up the longer it sits.

If you add too much it will dry out alot faster and be harder. But I noticed with my fondant being so soft that I was able to make it more workable with it.

I admire all of you that make your own fondant!

I purchase SatinIce, Pettinice and FondX online.

my 2 cents: I use Daisy's recipe - found on the "Fondant Rant" thread along with Toba's recipe. I like it because it has more crisco and was more stretchy than Wilton - which was all I had ever used. ....but then I tried it yesterday in the middle of a heat wave 102 107 heat index and like to never got it to work -- yes AC was on but the kitchen is hard to cool and that blasted humiidity. Stretchy wasn't even the word for it - more like slime consistency. Pick it up and it would fall out of my hand. I kept adding sugar, criscoing my hands and board and pin, kneaded and kneaded (air drying during this time also) and finally got it the right consistency and got it on the form (dummy for a fair) I think there is a very fine line where it is perfect and then you throw it on the cake. I think a big part of it is patience and timing. In my frustration, I reread the rant and noticed the Toba recipe talking about kneading in sugar until it would take no more - thought that was interesting (because obviously you can add too much) but also makes sense because it does get to a point where it no longer absorbs the sugar - making it stick and then can be picked up) and I think the humdity thing just makes it more of a crap shoot. I will cover 6 forms tomorrow, but the temp is supposed to drop into the 90's and I am going to crank the AC

Homemade all the way! Tastes great! Less filling ...of someone elses pocket!

I have used almost exclusively MMF, although I started out using Wiltons (looks beautiful but tastes horrible). Also tried Pettinice/Bakels didnt like the taste and Satin Ice. Satin Ice is great easy to work with and doesnt taste too bad but buying pre-made fondant is soooo expensive. I do most of my cakes as gifts for friends and family so I dont make any money off of them. Anyway, I made traditional MMF for over a year until a few months ago I discovered the Alternate MMF recipe here on CC. It is FABULOUS! For me, the fondant turns out just as well as store bought, and I love the matte finish (sometimes regular MMF is a little too shiny but sometimes that works, like with a leather jacket cake I did the shiny-ness actually made the jacket look more real). Anyway, with MMF, you have to Crisco EVERYTHING the bowl you melt the marshmallows in, the spoon you stir in with, your working surface, the rolling pin, your hands, etc But with this Alternate MMF recipe you make the fondant with the Crisco already in it! You add in a couple tablespoons after the marshmallows are melted and stir it in, and then mix it all up in your stand up mixer (or by hand, if you dont have one). I couldnt believe the difference in how quickly it kneaded to the right consistency, and how it wasnt necessary to Crisco everything as much (but still do your working surface. I also started using a silicone rolling pin works great). If you check out my most recent pics the 3 tiered wedding cake with the roses around the edge and the ladybug cake they were made using that recipe and I love the finish of the fondant. It rolls out so nice. Especially doing the wedding cake having to roll out large areas for the 10 and 14 inch tiers was a nightmare the last time I did a wedding cake because regular MMF isnt as elastic. But this one with the Crisco already in it, means it just rolls out so nice and smooth and took no time at all. So anyway, my suggestion is to check out that recipe and give it a shot. The Crisco will keep it from drying and cracking. Youll get a feel for how much sugar to knead in (usually not a full bag of confectioners sugar maybe ¾ bag or so may depend on the humidity in your area. Also, ALWAYS make sure you sift it before using it) to get the consistency you want. And when youre done let it rest overnight before using it. When storing it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and put it in a Ziploc. Oh and if you want to cover a cake in anything but white fondant add in the color after you melt the marshmallows and stir it in that way your whole batch will be the same shade and you wont have to knead it in later. This is great for darker colors like red and black (for black add in a square of melted unsweetened chocolate before adding in the black color takes a lot less color). One more thing if you want pure white, dont use regular vanilla it turns it a light ivory shade. But I use regular vanilla for any other shade. Lastly I bought some clear foodsafe gloves (I cant remember if theyre vinyl or not sorry) to work with fondant and it works great not only is it foodsafe to not put your hands directly on the cake all the time - keeps fingernail marks off the fondant and is wonderful when kneading in color. So if youre doing multiple colors you can just rinse them or toss them and get a new pair, but I prefer to recycle when possible.
Sorry this was so long I hope some of this is helpful!

Pyxxy do you mean Rhonda's Ultimate MMF? Which recipe are you referring to?

It's called Alternative Marshmallow Fondant Recipe - try copying and pasting this link in your browser to see if it brings it up:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2266-Alternative-Marshmallow-Fondant-Recipe.html

pyxxydust:
so you only use a couple of Tbsp and not the 1/3 cup as mentioned in the recipe? Sounds like a recipe that even I could make instead of buying the premade's.

I believe the secret in getting GOOD fondant - one that works with you and you with it....is TIME.....fondant must be allowed to mature....you should allow it to rest for at least 4 hours before attempting to roll out and place on cake. I actually leave mine on the kitchen counter overnight....!!! Next day it is a totally different consistency that when freshly made.....and if it is a bit 'stiff' then I just pop the whole bag with the fondant in it into the micro for about 15 seconds, give a slight knead and roll out....

Hi MJS!

Actually, come to think of it, I did use a 1/3 cup. It's been a while since I've made it, so I forgot how much it was. But I remember using one of those nifty measuring cups that "scrapes" the sides as you push it out - which is such a time saver when measuring shortening!

And yes, the microwave is definitely the secret to using fondant - at least MMF (never tried it when using regular fondant, but I would assume it would work for that as well). It also helps when using a clay gun - it's so much easier to push it through.

I LOVE using Pettinice Rolled Fondant. It comes in white and chocolate. The flavor is wonderful. Look for it at www.bakels.com or at your local cake supply shop (you won't find it at Michael's or Hobby Lobby).

I just used Michelle Foster's fondant recipe (in the recipe section) this weekend and LOVED it. It has a beautiful finish and is easy to put on the cake. It mixes well with the dough hook, too. I had to add more powdered sugar than the recipe called for, though.

I've also made Rhoda's Ultimate MMF, too. I thought that was good as well.

Of the 3 fondants I've ordered through the mail: Satin Ice, FondX and Pettinice, I only really like FondX. The Pettinice tore way too easily and I didn't like the taste. I think I may have gotten a bad batch of Satin Ice. It was both too soft and too dry at the same time! Nothing, and I mean nothing, I did made it manageable. However, I've heard many, many people say it is easy to work with, so I may try again sometime.