Jane's birthday cupcakes decorcated with fondant

Wow!  I've not been blogging the food for a few days.  Well... you have not missed much.  pretty much the same food everyday.  We had a nice spicy curry 2 days ago though.  :D 

It's Jane's belated birthday and Jane had celebrated at school with her classmates...those cute small boys and girls.  Pat ordered a set of nicely decorated cupcake to celebrate at school.  The characters on the cupcakes are Jane's favourite - NumberJacks. 

The colourful decoration on the cake is called fondant.  Before this, i just understood the term as a kind of decoration and thinking that it is something similar to marzipan.  Today, out of curiousity i have done a small research online to findout exactly what fondant is.  and ... it is ... merely sugar with cornsyrap ... and other binding material .... and not forgetting.... colouring ... and of course safe to be consumed.

according to ww.allrecipes.com, fondant is made of:

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch, for rolling out the dough

Directions

1. Place gelatin and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until gelatin is melted. Remove from heat.
2. Combine the corn syrup, vegetable oil, shortening, and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Turn the mixer on low, and add the gelatin mixture. Beat on low speed until a paste is formed. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to let harden slightly.
3. To use, roll the fondant to 1/4 inch thickness, using cornstarch to coat the work surface and the rolling pin. Transfer fondant by rolling it around the rolling pin. Place fondant over cake and unroll it, stretching it into place as necessary. Use a paring knife to cut away the excess. Store unused fondant in an airtight container.

The cupcake we ordered each cost $4 (ya... $4 a piece :O ) and it's ordered online at http://cupcakedivinity.blogspot.com/.  It's pricey but i guess we paid for the craftmanship.  it is nice.  ...profit margin must be that...THAT ...high.  Next year we try to make our own, ok?

:D

Happy Birthday Jane girl.  Papa and Mimi love u!!