Hand Molded Fruits & Vegetables
Original Sketches, Layout, Editing by Diane Shavkin NY

 
Diane Shavkin's Butter Fondant for Fruits & Vegetables 
(To use in place of marzipan.)

 1/3 c soft butter or margarine
 1/3 c light corn syrup
 1/2 tsp. salt
 1 lb. sifted confectioners sugar - about 4 cups
 1 tsp. flavoring
 Blend butter, corn syrup, salt and flavoring in a large bowl. 
Add sifted sugar all at once.  Mix first with a spoon and then with hands. 
Blend until smooth.  Store molded fruit at room temperature in covered 
container until needed.

Apple: Make a ball of pale green or red fondant. Shape into an apple. Make an indentation on top with a ball-like tool. Make a little indentation on the bottom of the apple.

Corn: Make the green leaf by forming the shape shown in Fig. 1. (Shape should be rounded; not flat). Roll out flat to shape as in Fig. 2. Use a piece of dried corn husk to create the texture in the leaf (both sides of the leaf). Use a piece of yellow fondant and make the corn shape as shown in Fig. 3. Make indentation with a blade of a knife and place the corn onto the green leaf in the area as shown in Fig. 4. Bring up the bottom part of the leaf and overlap it a bit over the kernels (Fig. 5). Use alcohol and green food coloring to paint the leaves so that the mixture goes into the indentations and gives the leaves character.
 

Fig. 1
 Fig. 2
Fig. 3 
Fig. 4

 
Fig.5

Pear: Make a pear shape in the fondant color you desire. Make an indentation in the top of the pear with a ball tool. Green pear could have a reddish blush, so just use a colored powder to create this or paint with alcohol and food coloring.

Pumpkin: Make a ball of orange fondant. Use a toothpick and work from the bottom of the ball upward to make indentations all around the ball in order to shape the pumpkin. Make an indentation on the top of the pumpkin and insert a clove for the stem.


USES FOR HAND-MOLDED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES:

Cakes: Make a base border (bottom border of cake) with any variety of fruits and vegetables.   Put a "Fall" leaf in-between each fruit on the bottom border.  Make a circle of fruit and/or vegetables on top of the cake.  Fill in the design around the fruits and/or vegetables with "Fall" leaves.  Write the greeting or person's name inside the circle with a #2, #3, or #4 tip.

Cupcakes:  Frost cupcakes with green frosting.  Place a fondant fruit or vegetable on each cupcake.  Add "Fall" leaves.

Easy Halloween Cake:  Frost a cake with green frosting.  Add a shell border to top and bottom borders or make a border using "candy corn"  Sprinkle green coconut on the cake.  Place some fondant pumpkins on the cake.  To create facial features for the "jack-o-lanterns", use dark brown buttercream frosting or royal icing.   Secure the pumpkins to the cake with frosting.

Candy Idea:  Make the fruits and vegetables.  Dip the bottom of the fondant piece about 1/2" into the melted chocolate.  Let solidify.  Put into candy cups and place in a candy box with a "window".
 


Piping Buttercream Fall Leaves

In a lengthwise format, fill one side of a bag with orange buttercream.  Fill the other half of the bag (opposite side of orange) with green buttercream.  Use a leaf tip to make leaves.

To make Oak Leaves:  As you squeeze the bag to make the leaves go forward and backward to make the tips of the leaves curve and make a rounded tip for the top of the oak leaf.


 
 
This page has been created by Diane Shavkin of NY
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