Roses from Homemade Colored Fondant

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   You'll need a mixing bowl, a sieve, and a coffee grinder. I never really measure how much powdered sugar I go through — I just grind granulated sugar into powder as I need it. But if you don't have a coffee grinder, you can always buy powdered sugar at the store, and trust me, it's better to get more than you think you'll need.

2. Step 2:

   

   Rub the bottom of the bowl with butter.

3. Step 3:

   

   I use two kinds of food coloring — powder and gel. Gel coloring can also be worked into the finished fondant.

4. Step 4:

   

   If you're using powder coloring, dissolve it first in a drop of water or lemon juice.

5. Step 5:

   

   Rather than buy a whole lemon for just a few drops, I use bottled lemon juice.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the marshmallows and your coloring, and microwave for 10–60 seconds depending on how many marshmallows you have (for 200 g, about a minute).

7. Step 7:

   

   Keep an eye on them as they heat — the moment they double in volume, stop. Don't overheat the marshmallows or you'll ruin the fondant; it's better to just microwave again if they need more. Some people use a double boiler instead of the microwave. I tried it once and it didn't work for me — I must have overheated it, because the fondant started crumbling badly and I had to throw it all out. I didn't risk it again.

8. Step 8:

   

   A sieve fits neatly over this bowl, so that's where I do everything. Dust the bottom of the bowl with powdered sugar, then keep dusting more on top as you gradually knead it into a dough. (It'll stick to your hands like crazy — be patient, that's totally normal.)

9. Step 9:

   

   Once the fondant has cooled a bit, you can add more powdered sugar. If you drop hot marshmallow straight onto a big pile of powder, it'll seize into lumps and you risk ruining the whole batch.

10. Step 10:

    

    I want a deeper color, so I add a little more gel coloring.

11. Step 11:

    

    Once the fondant turns smooth and elastic and stops sticking to your hands, wrap it tightly in plastic and chill it for 30 minutes.

12. Step 12:

    

    Pinch off only as much as you need to work with, and keep the rest wrapped, since fondant dries out and crumbles.

13. Step 13:

    

    Roll the fondant out with a rolling pin — but not too thin, or the dried roses will be very fragile. For the first method, cut out flower shapes in a few different sizes. I don't have cutters, so I made paper templates first, laid them on the fondant, and cut around them with a knife.

14. Step 14:

    

    Like so.

15. Step 15:

    

    Ruffle the edges with a modeling tool (or anything similar) to give the rose a realistic look.

16. Step 16:

    

    Set the larger flower into a piece of foil so it hardens in that cupped shape.

17. Step 17:

    

    Form the center of the rose.

18. Step 18:

    

    Starting with the smaller flowers, fold the petals up around the center, every other one.

19. Step 19:

    

    And finally the last flower, the one we'd left to dry. Here's how it turned out.

20. Step 20:

    

    For the second method, I again cut out blanks from paper.

21. Step 21:

    

    Cut them out and ruffled the edges.

22. Step 22:

    

    Form the center again, then add the petals one at a time, each one overlapping the middle of the last.

23. Step 23:

    

    Work from smallest to largest. Trim off the excess fondant at the base and shape it into a neat round.

24. Step 24:

    

    Set the rose on foil to harden, which helps the petals keep their full, open shape.

25. Step 25:

    

    Now for the third method — to me it's the fastest and easiest. Take a small shot glass and a wider one (I use a wine glass) and cut out rounds. Fold the petals as in the previous method and set them on foil to dry.

26. Step 26:

    

    And here's the rose it makes. Honestly, for the roses after this one I stopped ruffling the petals altogether — they still come out pretty and have a nice look of their own.

27. Step 27:

    

    To finish the set, all that's missing is leaves. Luckily I have plunger cutters — and if you don't, well... gather your patience and have at it!