Here’s the easiest tip, and it costs almost nothing: shortening. You know, the white vegetable shortening in a tub? When you’re kneading or shaping your fondant, rub a tiny bit of it on your hands. It’s like giving your fondant a moisturizer.
Just a pea-sized amount will do the trick. If you use too much, it gets greasy and slippery, like trying to hold a wet fish. That little layer of fat traps the moisture inside, keeping your decorations bendy and happy for much longer.
The Fridge Dilemma (And Why It’s Tricky)
You might think the fridge is your friend. It’s cold and damp in there, right? Actually, for fondant, the fridge is often a traitor. The cold air sucks the moisture right out of your sugar creations, leaving them cracked and sad.
If you must use the fridge—say, for a cake that needs to chill—wrap your decorated piece in a damp paper towel first. Then put it in a sealed plastic bag. It’s like giving it a tiny, humid blanket.
Better yet, skip the fridge for the decorations themselves. Let them sit out at room temperature, but with a little protection. That brings us to the magic of the old-fashioned “bread trick.”
