I tried making fondant for myself instead of buying it. The texture was pretty good and it tasted good too but, I tried rolling it 4 times and it always broke or got stuck on the counter top. I put a lot of confectioner's sugar on my counter top in order to prevent it from sticking, a little bit at a time, and finally got it to roll pretty well but, when I placed it on the cake it cracked. Not one big crack but a lot of small cracks all over the cake. Also, because of the sugar used, the fondant looks white in some parts.

Do you have any suggestions or instructions I could follow to make my fondant work for me?

Also, is there anything that needs to be poured on top of the fondant to make it all shiny?

Not bad at all for a first try.

I spread a very thin layer of crisco on my mat and rolling pin before rolling out the fondant. The crisco gives it a little bit of shine and helps keep it from sticking.

C

It does take some practice. I wouldn't say your cake is a disaster, it's pretty great for a first try!

Do you lift and turn it after every roll?

Some people use crisco to roll it out. I haven't tried that yet.

My wilton instructor has told us to use crisco. It works great! I like it better than the conf. sugar b/c it doesn't leave it dry looking. You also don't get the white dusty marks on it. I had a huge problem w/that until I started using the crisco.

I never use Crisco or Powdered Sugar,, I use Corn Starch, and they always come out perfect as you can see in my photos..don't worry, there is always a next time. Keep practicing..Practice makes perfect.

i have always used cornstarch as well.... but mine always end up looking white and dusty. I will try the crisco next time.

MOMMYEDZARDS, I get the same thing, but just use a pastry brush to brush off the cornstarch, it comes off easily..I don't think I'll ever use Criso, I just don't feel comfortable with sticky stuff.

Seems like your fondant was a little dry. Not bad at all for your first time

I dust my counter top with corn starch and I grease my hands with crisco when kneading my fondant or mixing colors into it. It's really trial and error. What works well for one person might not work for you & vise-versa. Try different techniques till you find your perfect match.

Maybe the fondant recipe was not correct. . . compare to others and see if anything was missing. I've never made fondant, I buy mine. It's such a time saver and blessing for me, since there's always too many other things to do when making a cake.

Good Luck and post more pictures as you continue to practice with fondant.

Did you use MMF? I have found that when I use MMF and roll it out on my mat, it gets a nice smooth shiny finish. I just use nonstick cooking spray.

Okay, I've heard the exact opposite regarding the Crisco. I have worked with the MMF twice and used the Crisco and it kept sticking. I even slathered my kitchen table with it so that my MMF wouldn't stick, but it did anyway. So, I posted on the forum about this (can't remember where now) but I got a reply from (I think) MrsMissey or MissDawn and was told that Crisco will make it stick to the table. My Wilton instructor said the same thing. Of course, I needed someone's advice who had actually worked with MMF, since my instructor had only worked with wilton's fondant.

Sorry to hear about your problems w/the fondant I use cornstarch and I have used Crisco also .. the cornstarch works better to me... after you roll for a bit, stop, dust under it again really well with the cornstarch, rub it around with your hand, then roll some more.. do this several times; checking to make sure it's not sticking as you roll it out .. Hope you have better luck next time!!

I've never used Crisco for MMf. I always use nonstick cooking spray. To me, the Crisco would probably leave the MMF too greasy.

I did try turning it often as I rolled it but it would stick anyway. I also tried dusting the sugar off but as you see it is still there. Like I said, it tasted great but the consistency was not so great.

Thanks to all for the advice. I will try both corn starch and Crisco (obviously on different ocassions) and let you know how it turns out.

You could also try putting more sugar into the MMF when you are making it. I've noticed some times I need more sugar (like when it's more humid) and other times I don't need as much. Play around with the amount of sugar in your recipe and see where that gets you.

You could also try misting it with water. But only like 1-2 sprays. I did that one time and it was fine. I mean, as long as you're just practicing. It gets rid of the powder and it seemed to help a tiny bit with the cracking. Or try a different brush? For a "disaster" it still looks pretty good!

I have used a small paint brush to brush off the white but maybe I just need to brush it more. The cornstarch does make it very easy to work with. I use the MMF and everyone loves it.