Marshmallow Fondant

I've always loved seeing gorgeous fondant cakes, cookies, and cupcakes. The only problem is that it's so much work but tastes TERRIBLE! Bleh! Who wants to eat that?!

Awhile ago, a friend mentioned Marshmallow Fondant to me and I've always thought about trying it. I needed a treat to take to a friend and I had the ingredients on hand, so I gave it a shot....YUM! And easy! So far I've used it for cookies but it's great for cupcakes and cakes, too. If you store it correctly, it lasts for weeks in the fridge, so it's a fun make-ahead decorating idea.

Marshmallow Fondant-Topped Cookies
Ingredients:
Your favorite sugar cookies, baked
Marshmallow Fondant (recipe below)
Buttercream Icing
Any desired garnishes

Directions:
1) Roll out fondant (I spread some powdered sugar on the counter to prevent sticking) to about 1/8" thick
2) using the same cookie cutter you used to make the cookies, cut out fondant shapes
3) spread a little buttercream icing on the cookie
4) carefully lay a fondant shape on top of the icing, spread it gently with your fingers
5) garnish with whatever you want!

For these cookies, I used melted chocolate squeezed out of a ziploc baggie, gold dragees, and gold luster dust.

For these cookies, I used royal icing flowers (I was making a batch of edible eyeballs and had extra icing:)) and buttercream icing for the stripe and polka dots.

Marshmallow Fondant recipe from What's cooking America
You can see a great tutorial with lots of photos here at Cake Journal.
Ingredients:
16 ounces white mini-marshmallows (use a good quality brand)
2 to 5 tablespoons water
2 pounds powdered sugar
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl)

Directions:
Place marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 1/2 minutes total. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.
Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY (palms, backs, and in between fingers), then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant starts sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time and then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.
It is best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water.
Prepare the fondant for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic-type wrap product and then put it in a re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. This will keep for several weeks in the fridge.