Pink Hazelnut Marshmallow Fondant

When D and I designed the birthday cake for our friend Stella, there was no question about what color it was going to be. Pink! So, D made a batch of hazelnut marshmallow fondant and dyed it pink.

Ingredients

• 6 C minature marshmallows - loosely poured, not tightly packed
• 6 C organic powdered sugar
• 3 T water
• 1 t organic hazelnut extract
• pink gel food coloring

Procedure
Place the marshmallows and the water in a large saucepan. 

Cook, on low heat, until the marshmallows are puffy and expanded. Stir the marshmallows with a rubber spatula until they are melted and smooth. Add a few drops of food coloring to the melted marshmallows.

Add 4 C of the powdered sugar and begin to stir with the spatula. Stir until the sugar begins to incorporate and it becomes impossible to stir anymore. It will be paste-like.

Scrape the marshmallow-sugar mixture out onto a table covered with parchment and dusted with powdered sugar. The mixture will be sticky and lumpy, with lots of sugar that has not yet been incorporated. Dust your hands with powdered sugar, and begin to knead the fondant mixture like dough, working the sugar into the marshmallow with your hands.

Continue to knead the fondant until it loses its stickiness. Add more sugar if necessary, but stop adding sugar once it is smooth. Too much sugar will make it stiff and difficult to work.

Once the fondant is a smooth ball, it is ready to be used. You can now roll it out, shape it, or wrap it in cling wrap to use later. Well-wrapped fondant can be stored in a cool room or in the refrigerator, and needs to be kneaded until supple before later use.

D turned our batch into pigs. Lots and lots of pigs...