i've gone fondanting

I can't help but giggle when I say "fondant-ing" (with an absurd emphasis on the second syllable, as if I'm embarking on an adventure of epic proportions and slinging a cape over my shoulder to make a dramatic exit. stage left.)

But that's exactly what I did - for the very first time - over Memorial Day Weekend. My brother's 30th birthday was coming up in June, and we were surprising him in our hometown with an old school pizza party, cake, and limo night out on the town. We're good siblings, that's for sure (well, and family, since my mother helped execute). He and I were both flying in for a weekend of May birthdays (my other brother's, father's, mother's), and to celebrate a new baby being born -- the perfect time to spring a surprise party on said brother.

Now, Michael is very much so a kid at heart, loves doing impressions and making people laugh, cracking jokes, and diehard Simpsons fan. Which leads me to the fondanting.

Max (brother #2, the non-surprise-party one here) had the brilliant idea of buying Michael a themed cake of some sort, and set out to see if anyone in his network of bakers and trusted pastry establishments could make one in the short amount of time we gave them. Sadly, no luck. Back to the drawing board.

Plan B ... in talking with my mother one day on the phone we set out on Google to look at Simpsons party supplies and stumbled on some very easy images for homemade character cakes.

// Lightbulb lights up over my head.

"Hey mom, I could do that," I said, sending her a few Bart Simpson images. I bake ... quite well in fact, and have a creative bone or two in my body. Game on.

And this is where the tale began, followed by botched flights, an hour to create Bart cake out of fondant and stowe away to hide from soon-to-be arriving brother, a perfectly executed surprise party for my brother's (pre-)30th, and a wealth of memories (and awesome sister points. Score!)





(Ladies, this stud is single. Inquire for more details. ;) )

Oh, and an Elmo cake experiment for my painfully adorable niece, Brigid. That girl has me wrapped around her little finger. :) And I'm more than happy with that arrangement.



I mean, do you blame me?



Next time, I may try to make my own marshmallow fondant instead of buying. Do you have a favorite recipe for fondant? Ever tried?