A..that i leave finger prints all over!! I tried to leave the fondant by itself for a minute to "dry out" a bit and then it was too dry (of course, right??) at that point.

What to do? I use satin ice fondant!

pat it out so there's a large surface and let it dry like that in the air for a few-- then knead that in -- repeat as needed till it behaves --

ADone, didn't work.. I had to add 1/2 c of powder sugar to make the fondand better.. Still ripping apart anyways. I don't know if it's the hot temperature or the mat..

My fondant was sticky the night my air conditioning was messed up at my new location.  I also added powdered sugar to help.  Once my air conditioner was fixed, my problems stopped. 

Temperature/humidity have a big impact on your work area.  My bakery is in Southwest Florida, (think tropical) and I keep the thermostat in the low 70 degree range.  I now have more fans to move the air as well and my fondant is happy again!

AI'll try tomorrow again with the fan right next to me! No ac in my home and i live in new mexico, not humid but hot as he'll!!

Hey Italian Baker,

Here are a few ideas. 

I chill my cakes for about 10 minutes before I cover them, but if they are too cold, the fondant will get sticky immediately after I put it on the cake and I will get the fingerprints, too.  I set a timer so I don't leave the cake in cooler too long.

The mat should help.  But if you flip the mat over and peel the fondant off and put the fondant on your cake that way, you are going to have the moister side up.  Try a second mat and flip the fondant over so your "dry" side is up.   You can get a cheap piece of clear plastic in the fabric/upholstery section at Walmart.   I hope that makes sense! 

Good luck tomorrow!

A

I was using a dummy cake! When I'm at work I don't have any problem, so it must be the heat! I'll try the mat the way you say.. Let's see!!