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Knead the Fondant
Fondant Pearls add a beautiful decorative touch to any cake or pastry.
To make this recipe, you will need:
- White fondant (or marzipan or chocolate plastic)
- Luster dust (available at cake decorating stores, and some craft stores)
- Clear alcohol or clear flavored extract like orange or lemon
- Round piping tip(s)
Begin by kneading the fondant until it is smooth and supple. The amount of fondant you use depends on how many pearls you require, and the size of the pearls you make. It’s always a good idea to be generous in your estimate of how much fondant you need, but I am often surprised at how many small pearls I can get out of even a quarter pound of fondant.
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Roll the Fondant Circles into Balls
After you have cut a number of circles, roll them one by one between your palms to form balls. If you don’t have piping tips you can always just pinch off bits of fondant and roll that into balls, but the beauty of cutting out circles is that it produces pearls that are all very close in size. At this point, the balls can be stored in an airtight container or bag for weeks or even months before they’re needed.Continue to 5 of 6 below. -
Coat the Pearls in Luster Dust
- When you are ready to finish you pearls, pour some luster dust into a container that can be sealed, like a Tupperware container.
- Add a small amount of clear alcohol or alcohol-based extract, just enough to turn the luster dust into a shimmering liquid.
- Stir until all of the dust has dissolved. Working in batches if necessary, add the pearls, being sure to leave plenty of room in the container.
- Cover the container with a lid, and shake the pearls around until they’re coated with the luster dust. Pour the finished pearls onto a baking sheet covered with waxed paper or parchment, and repeat until all of the pearls are coated and shiny, adding more dust and liquid as needed.
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