L to R: Mountain Sheep/Goat ~ Employee; Atop Mountain
The little goat was made earlier in the week. Dyed some fondant (I think gum paste or marzipan would be more traditional) and had fun with it - just like Play-doh!
But... Nightmare! The day before Party-Day, I rolled out the fondant to cover the cake. Well, first I had to dye the fondant brown. Since dying the small amount I used for the goat left my fingers black for days, I decided to dye it in the mixer. But the fondant had stiffened up a little more on me, so I added corn syrup to compensate/add moisture. While it started to color, I'd need a lot more to get a dark brown. The fondant was still kind of stiff in the mixer and I had fears of making the fondant to wet/gummy with the corn syrup and overheating my mixer. I finally got it all dyed and was ready to roll.
It rolled out smoothly, but I couldn't seem to pick it up in one piece. It would always tear or stick to the board in the middle. Even with my liberal sprinkling of cornstarch, it seemed that the now moist fondant absorbed the cornstarch too quickly on the underside. So, by the time I was ready to lift, it would stick to the board.
I then tried to piece it onto the cake. It went on, but looked too piece-y. Then I was afraid it may not hold up through out the day. I gave in, tore off the fondant, and prayed I had enough buttercream to cover the cake. I did... just.
But... Nightmare! The day before Party-Day, I rolled out the fondant to cover the cake. Well, first I had to dye the fondant brown. Since dying the small amount I used for the goat left my fingers black for days, I decided to dye it in the mixer. But the fondant had stiffened up a little more on me, so I added corn syrup to compensate/add moisture. While it started to color, I'd need a lot more to get a dark brown. The fondant was still kind of stiff in the mixer and I had fears of making the fondant to wet/gummy with the corn syrup and overheating my mixer. I finally got it all dyed and was ready to roll.
It rolled out smoothly, but I couldn't seem to pick it up in one piece. It would always tear or stick to the board in the middle. Even with my liberal sprinkling of cornstarch, it seemed that the now moist fondant absorbed the cornstarch too quickly on the underside. So, by the time I was ready to lift, it would stick to the board.
I then tried to piece it onto the cake. It went on, but looked too piece-y. Then I was afraid it may not hold up through out the day. I gave in, tore off the fondant, and prayed I had enough buttercream to cover the cake. I did... just.
Roxy Paine, Maelstrom, 2009. Rooftop at The Met.
No comments:
Post a Comment