Homemade Fondant

I have seen many recipes for making homemade fondant, but was reluctant to try out any of them, thinking if it would come out good or not. At last, rounded off to Veena's recipe as I had tried out many of her other recipes and all had come out good. But some of the ingredients were not easily available. So I was waiting to get all of them or the substitutes, so that I can start off.

Many people had asked me to give a homemade fondant recipe. I had told them to wait, till I try out a recipe and if it come out good, then I will share. So friends, here's the fool proof recipe for homemade fondant...

I was in need of some fondant to decorate a cake and good brand is not available now in stores. So I had no choice, but to try out this recipe. Now I regret, why I didn't try this earlier. It is so tasty and yummy. Can be thinly rolled out. I am really thankful to Veena for sharing her recipe.

This recipe makes about 1100 to 1200 grams of Fondant.

Recipe Source : veenaartofcakes

Ingredients

1/4 cup Fresh Whipping Cream (or non-dairy whipping cream)
1 1/2 tbsp Gelatin
1/2 tsp Meringue powder or (1/2 tsp Gelatin)
1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup or (Glucose Syrup : 1/2 cup minus 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp water)
3 tbsp Butter or Veg Shortening.
1 1/2 tbsp Glycerin
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla extract or other flavouring.
1 kg Icing Sugar or Powdered Sugar


Method

• Keep all the ingredients needed for making this fondant ready, as you have to work fast after melting the gelatin.
• In a microwave safe bowl, put the cream and add gelatin into it. Mix well and keep aside for 2 minutes until it blooms.
• Later, place it in the microwave - Power High for 10 seconds. Take out and mix. If gelatin is not melted completely, put it back in the microwave for another 10 seconds. Do this process, until gelatin is nicely melted and you get a smooth mixture.
• In the mean time, take a big bowl and put 700 gms of icing sugar in it. Make a well in between and keep this aside.
• When the gelatin is nicely melted in the cream, add butter. Mix well. The heat in the gelatin cream mixture will be enough for the butter to melt. If small bits of butter is seen without melted, no probs, you can go ahead with the next ingredient.
• Next add glucose syrup or corn syrup. Mix well. Add salt. If adding meringue powder, add it now. Mix well.
• Next add glycerin and vanilla extract. Mix again. You will get a gooey mixture. If you see that it is bit liquidy, no problem go ahead with the next step. (Make sure that this mixture is not hot or warm. By the time you mix all the ingredients, the mixture should come to room temperature)
• Add this mixture into the well which we had created in between the icing sugar.
• Mix gently by folding in the icing sugar from the sides. Use your hand to mix all the icing sugar into the liquid mixture. When it starts to stick, add the rest of the icing sugar, little by little. Transfer it onto a clean kitchen surface and knead well. If you are able to make it into a smooth dough, stop kneading and transfer it into a zip lock bag or cling wrap it. Place it in an airtight container and place it in the fridge overnight to rest.
• When you are ready to decorate your cake with the fondant, take out the container (with fondant) and let it come to room temperature for about 2 hours. Later, take out the fondant and knead again till it becomes soft. If bit sticky, add little corn flour on the surface and knead again. If more sticky, add little icing sugar and knead again.
• Your homemade fondant is ready. You can roll it really thin and taste is simply awesome.

Note:

1. You can store this fondant in room temperature for about a month. But i would recommend to store it in the fridge till you use them. In summer, keep the fondant in the fridge and it will stay fresh for up to 3 months. Keep in the freezer, if you want to store for longer period. Whenever you need to use the fondant, take it out about 2 - 3 hours before or keep outside overnight. Knead again and you are good to go.
2. As many of the ingredients are not available easily in India, I have used substitutes. Like, instead of meringue powder, I used gelatin and instead of light corn syrup, I used glucose syrup (quantity is mentioned above).
3. The gelatin used instead of meringue powder, was added to the cream (in the beginning) along with the 1 1/2 tbsp. gelatin for melting.
4. All the ingredients should be kept ready before starting to make this fondant, as we have to work fast.
5. I used Amul fresh cream which worked really fine. If you have whipping cream, go ahead with that.
6. Initially, take only 700 gms of icing sugar. Later add little by little till you get a soft dough.
7. Even after using 1 Kg icing sugar, you feel that the dough is bit sticky, no problem, store it in the zip lock bag, in the container and keep in the fridge overnight. Next day, it will be fine and not sticky. If still it is bit sticky, while kneading add corn flour and if more sticky add bit of icing sugar.
8. You can check Veenaartofcakes if you would like to see the video as to how to make it.
9. I had used yellow butter and dark coloured vanilla extract, so I couldn't get the perfect white fondant. It is an ivory coloured fondant which I made. If you want a white fondant, use white butter and light coloured vanilla extract or any other flavouring.

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Happy Cooking!!

Mawa Cup Cake (Egg less)

I had made a batch of khoya/mawa and didn't want to make the usual sweets with them. Wanted to try out something different and that's how I ended up making this yummy soft mawa cupcakes. Some of the cupcakes, I baked in my new Gas Oven Tandoor and some in my oven. Even made a small cake too.

Did I tell you that iam trying my hands on fondant decorations? I wanted to cover a cake with fondant and try some decorations. So used the small mawa cake for that. Will post some pics... Hope you will like it...

Coming back to the cake. Its really soft and rich. Though not a healthy one, but can indulge in this yummy cake once in a while. So, go ahead and bake them. Its worth a try!!!

Ingredients

160 gms Maida/All purpose flour
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
120 gms Butter
200 gms Condensed milk
1 tsp Vanilla essence
75 ml Milk
150 gms Khoya/Mawa


Method

• In a bowl, sieve maida, baking powder and baking soda. Keep this aside.
• In another bowl add butter and condensed milk. Beat well using an electric beater till it reaches a soft and smooth creamy consistency.
• Add vanilla essence and mix well.
• Now add the maida mixture into it. Mix well. Add milk and beat again till everything is nicely combined.
• Later, add khoya/mawa into the batter and beat again till it is combined properly.
• If baking cupcakes, pour spoonful of batter into the cupcake molds. If baking a cake, pour the batter into the prepared baking tin.
• Pre-heat the microwave oven in convection mode at 180 degree Celsius.
• Place the cupcake mold or cake tin in the preheated oven for about 20 - 25 minutes or till it is done. Do a toothpick test to check whether the cake is baked or not.

Note:

1. You can sprinkle little khoya/mawa on top of the batter after pouring it in the cupcake mold or baking tin.
2. I had baked a batch of cupcakes in my new Gas Oven Tandoor and it came out perfect. So if you have a GOT, you can try this recipe in it. But keep a close watch, as it cooks faster and may burn on top.
3. The khoya/mawa is used in this recipe is a homemade one. You can use store bought ones also.

This is the picture of the cupcakes, which I baked using Gas Oven Tandoor...

 



Some pics of my first ever fondant decorated cake...the cake is Mawa cake.

This is how it looked after cutting :)

Hope you liked the pics... Thanks for watching... Try out the cake and let me know how you liked it.



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Happy Cooking!!

Chocolate Brownie in 2 minutes (Egg less)

This is a quick fix when you are craving for something sweet. It's so easy that you can even bake this when some guests have come over and you don't have anything sweet to serve them.

Yesterday, my kids where after me to make something sweet and I was wondering what to prepare so as to make them happy. I was not in a mood for an elaborate cooking though. Then I thought about these individual serving brownies. Just Mix it and bake it.... Its that easy and the result is too yummy that I could see the sparkle in my kids eyes, when they saw it. 

When my kids saw that I have made only two bowls, they lovingly gave one scoop each from their brownies... So nice of them... I must say, It definitely tastes amazing...

Beware guys!!! It's so tasty and tempting, that you might fix up one more bowl for yourself. I could control my urge with great difficulty :)

Anyway, try it once and let me know how you liked it.. Happy Baking!!!

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Maida/All purpose flour
2 tbsp. Cocoa Powder
1/4 tsp Vanilla essence
3 tbsp. Sugar
2 tbsp. Milk
2 tbsp. Butter (melted)
2 tbsp. Choco chips (optional)
1 pinch Salt


Method

• In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together into a smooth paste without any lumps.
• Pour it into a microwave safe bowl and place it in the microwave with power high for 1 minute.
• After 1 minute, test with a toothpick whether the brownie is done or not. If not, keep again for 20 seconds.
• Take off from the oven and place on the wire rack to cool.
• Once cooled, serve it in the same bowl with a scoop of ice cream or any toppings of your choice.

Note:

1. Every oven has different temperature settings, so check after 1 minute whether the brownie is ready or not. If not, keep again for 20 seconds.
2. You can adjust the sugar as per your taste.
3. I served the brownie with a small scoop of strawberry crush and some sprinkles. Serve as per your taste.
4. I did not add choco chips (as did not have any), still the brownie tasted awesome.
5. With the quantity mentioned above, you can bake 1 bowl (pic shown).

Thanks for visiting

Happy Cooking!!

Mushroom Fry (Chinese Style)

Sorry guys,.... I know..... iam blogging after a long gap. The reason is that I was busy with some chocolate orders and was trying my hand on some cake toppers with fondant. Once iam comfortable with it, I would start taking orders for Birthday cakes, Anniversary cakes or any type of cakes. Though I have done many cakes using buttercream, I am putting my baby steps into the vast world of fondant decorations. Its really fun to mold out different figures using the fondant. Iam in love with it now :)

Don't worry guys, I will not stop blogging...it will go on, but may be not as regular as I used to write earlier. Though cooking is my passion, I love baking the most. So iam slightly inclined to baking. If I start about this topic, it will go on....so coming over to this recipe...

We all love mushrooms a lot....actually many of you might also like it, right? The main problem I face with mushrooms, is the cleaning part. While cleaning them, I make it double sure that it is cleaned properly. So it takes lot of my time. Still I love to cook with it. This time it is a Fried Chinese dish iam making with this mushroom. I must say, it tastes heavenly. Try it out and let me know...

Ingredients

10 - 15 Button Mushrooms
Oil for frying

For making batter:

3 tbsp. Maida/All purpose flour
1 tbsp. Cornflour
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
Water as required

For making Sauce:

1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 tbsp. Garlic (finely chopped)
2 Stalks Spring Onion (finely chopped)
1 tsp Tomato Ketchup
1 tsp Red chilli sauce
1 tbsp. Kashmiri Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Vinegar
1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. Oil



Method

• Clean the mushrooms and cut each one of them into half. Keep aside.
• Mix maida, cornflour, salt and black pepper powder in a bowl. Add little water to make a batter. Mix well to remove all the lumps. The batter should be neither too thin nor too thick.
• Heat oil in a kadai. When it is medium hot, dip each mushroom pieces in the batter and put them in the oil. Let it simmer till all the sides are golden brown colour.
• Once done, transfer them onto a tissue paper. Keep aside.
• Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a kadai. Add onion and the bulbs of spring onion. Saute till translucent. Now add garlic and saute for a minute or till the raw smell goes off.
• Add tomato ketchup, soy sauce, red chilli sauce, Kashmiri red chilli powder, vinegar, black pepper powder and salt. Mix well and add 1/4 cup water. Let it boil for 1 minute.
• Now add the fried mushrooms and toss well so that each one of them is nicely coated with the sauce.
• Adjust salt if needed. Take off from heat and garnish with the spring onion greens.
• Serve it hot as a starter or with Fried Rice or Chinese noodles.

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust the sauces and spices as per your taste*


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Happy Cooking!!