Left-over Fondant…Owl Cupcakes

Left over fondant. Whether it’s a little or a lot, fondant can last up to three or four weeks once opened – if it’s stored properly.

If you’re not a regular cake decorator and you don’t find yourself  creating cakes every week, then the cost of ready-to-roll fondant can seem like a waste if you find yourself throwing it away. To store it, the key is to keep it air tight. It starts drying as soon as the packet is opened really, so if you dust off the excess cornflour or icing sugar, moisten your hands with a little copha and give it one last roll before you wrap it up, you’ll be able to find a use for it again in a week or two.

To store: Roll fondant into a ball and wrap in GladWrap – twice. Pop it into a zip-lock bag and squeeze as much of the air out as you possibly can. finally place it into an airtight container in the pantry/cupboard (room temp – not refrigerated) and keep it away from direct sunlight – especially if it’s coloured.

I found that I had a few different coloured fondant packages turning up in my pantry, and had made a batch of cupcakes for the kids. My daughter had decided that she wanted blue cupcakes and that if they were iced and ready when she got home from ‘school’ – child care; she would have one for afternoon tea. While putting the icing on the cakes, I checked what I had in the pantry to decorate them and found all of my fondant – lots in blue! So I used my mini cutters and created 24 very cute little owl cupcakes for an after-school treat…needless to say they were a hit, and I didn’t have to throw any fondant out.

The feathered pattern on the wings was done with the tip of a steak knife, just pressing it in over and over – effective, but oh so simple.