Hi I have seen a lot of posts about drying fondant in the oven with the light on. My confusion is some posts say pilot light and some say oven light. Are they talking about the light bulb in an electric oven or a pilot light in a gas oven? I need to dry my fondant pieces within a week and not sure how to make them dry hard. It is Wilton yellow fondant. Thanks!!!
If you don't need the pieces for a week, you could just let them airdry. I have dried some in the oven (electric) overnight by leaving the oven light on. If it is really humid, even this doesn't work. I have actually used a small heater that has a fan on it. Just have to be careful not to get them too close to the heat or they melt. Safest bet in summer is to do them far enough ahead of time so they can just airdry, if that is possible.
@Geegee1330 , to answer your question, in a gas oven the pilot light is always on and will provide sufficient heat for drying your fondant; since there is no constant heat source in an electric over, the oven light (little light bulb) will provide enough warmth for drying your piece. To be safe, you have several days, so why not let your pieces dry in the oven every day until you think they are sufficently dry.
Do you have any tylose powder? Kneading some of that in will help speed up the process!
Thank you for clearing that up the have been with the oven light for 24 hours, but I read that the Wilton preferred deluxe fondant never actually hardens and it had me worried I don't need then until July 1st but I need to build the stands and make sure how they will sit on them so I'm getting impatient lol they will be cymbals for a drum set cake right now they are on cake boards and I hope they will get hard enough to come off but if not I will figure something out.
Not sure if the fondant you used is any different from what I have used yrs ago but it should dry hard enough to handle just fine. I suggest taking them off the cake boards to see how they are progressing. Of course be very carefull removing the cake board. if there seems to be any problem, then leave them on the board. If you then put them on a cookie sheet the heated metal sheet will help speed along the drying from the underneath side. The problem might come when/if it is humid....then they will sag.
Thanks I checked them they are still wet underneath but I can move them off the board I will try the cookie sheet if not I will spray paint the cake boards and leave them in there permanently the middle is held up by a styrofoam half ball and one needs to hang upside down not sure how I'll do it but I will prevail lol
thanks everyone for the suggestions you all rock!!!
@Geegee1330 , have you ever used gum paste or pastillage? Either of them will dry completely and pastillage is very hard and sturdy. The are both easy to make at home. I would recommend gum paste since pastillage drys extremely fast and is harder with which to work.
Straight fondant doesn't really ever dry out completely. It's pure sugar and that's hygroscopic--it attracts moisture, so any humidity will cause it to begin to wilt again, even if it feel very dry/brittle.
Kneading in some tylose, CMC, or gum-tex will allow fondant to dry hard and be resistant to attracting moisture. Drying this mixture in the oven with the light on works extremely well. In a pinch, I've put my oven on the lowest temp setting to dry items quickly, too. With straight fondant, this would melt the item, but with the drying agent mixed in, they get dry & hard in a short time.
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