Anatomy of a Fondant Covered Cookie with Tammie Coe of Tammie Coe Cakes

By Mabel Suen Thu., Aug. 16 2012 at 7:00 AM

Categories: The Baker's Lab

Continued from page 1

The Tools: Your hands, a rolling pin, and a paring knife.

Terminology: Fondant is a sugar paste that is rolled and placed on cakes and cookies. Gum paste is another medium primarily used to make flowers and showpieces. It dries very hard. Modeling chocolate works more like a clay.

Technique/s: Work quickly and touch it as little as possible, as the heat from hands can make it shiny. Attempt to keep it at warm temperature. As the fondant gets warmed, it becomes stretchier which can easily become uneven -- thicker on the top and thinner on the sides -- when placing it on a cake. Coe demonstrates the process of smoothing fondant over cookies:

Tips & Tricks: Make sure you have cornstarch around to dust fondant so it doesn't stick to your work surface or hands. Don't over-aerate when rolling or kneading in color, as it will make it harder to work with. Keep fondant from drying out by putting it in a tight plastic wrap or a sealed bag. Color it with gel or an airbrush for details.

Troubleshooting/Try this at home: "It's best if you can just get in there and fail a few times to see how it works," says Coe. "You just kind of figure out what qualities it will take on for any particular day... You'll know the do's and don'ts and grow more comfortable the more you work with it." Cut off dry edges and throw them away, as dried pieces are difficult to incorporate. Alternatively, figure out a way to use it as a garnish, such as a sand.

Recommended reads: Cake decorating books by Colette Peters, and check out the books section at ABC Cake Decorating Supplies for inspiration.

See what else The Baker's Lab has examined:
Anatomy of a Marshmallow with Tracy Dempsey of Tracy Dempsey Originals
Anatomy of a Chocolate Chip Cookie with Brady Breese of Urban Cookies
Anatomy of a Polvorón with Minerva Orduño Rincón of Muñeca Mexicana
Anatomy of a Vegan Cupcake with the Sizemore Sisters of Treehouse Bakery
Anatomy of a Brownie with Eileen Spitalny of Fairytale Brownies
Anatomy of a Scone with Candy Lesher of Baci d'Amore Truffles and Scones

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