Virginia Theological Seminary

Molded Fondant Sugar Cookies

Icon made with 2 1/2-inch Istok seal, 3-inch scalloped cutter
Make special, detailed St. Nicholas cookies with fondant cookie toppers. Fondant may be either Wilton white fondant or homemade marshmallow fondant that tastes a bit better. Use either springerle or prosphora/artos icon seals. to mold the fondant.

What you need:

  • Sugar Cookies, recipe below
  • Fondant (Marshmallow, recipe below, or purchased)
  • Food coloring, gel recommended
  • Flavoring, if desired
  • Design molds, springerle or prosphora
  • Cookie cutters (St Nicholas figure or scalloped for icon seals)
  • Round or shaped cutters to cut out fondant pieces
St. Nicholas figures: House on the Hill springerle mold and cookie cutter

Sugar Cookies

Icon made with Ukrainian 1 1/4-inch seal, scalloped cookie cutter

Cookies need to be thick enough to support the fondant

1½ cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 cup butter or regular margarine
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond flavoring
2½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cream sugar and butter. Mix in egg and flavorings. Mix dry ingredients together; add. Refrigerate 1-2 hours (less if using butter). Roll out with lightly flowered rolling pin cover on lightly floured pastry cloth to 1/4-inch thick (Dough sticks help roll dough evenly). Cut out and place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 375 7-8 minutes, until beginning to brown (may take longer with this thickness.

Marshmallow Fondant

4 cups (8 oz) Miniature Marshmallows
1 pound Confectioners' Sugar (4 cups) + more for dusting
2 tablespoons water
Gel food coloring
Flavoring, almond won't darken the fondant
Dust counter or work surface with powdered sugar. Put marshmallows and water in large microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high for 1 minute. Marshmallows will be puffy. Whisk until marshmallows are completely melted and smooth. Microwave again for 30-45 seconds if needed.
If you want just one color, add food coloring now, just a couple drops at a time, and flavoring, if desired. Be careful and don't use too much food coloring as it will darken with a bit of time.
Add powdered sugar and whisk until it is too stiff to stir. Scrape the mixture out onto the dusted work surface. Dust hands with powdered sugar and knead the fondant like bread dough, working the sugar in until it is completely smooth and no longer sticky (add more if necessary, but not too much or it will get too stiff). 
To make several colors: divide the fondant into tennis ball size pieces; flatten each portion into a round disc. Add food color to the center; fold disc over on itself, stretch like taffy. Then knead the fondant ball until the streaks of color disappear and the fondant is a uniform color.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes. Fondant is ready to use or store for later use in refrigerator, wrapped in cling film then sealed in a ziplock bag.
St. Nicholas from House on the Hill springerle mold and cookie cutter

To Make Fondant Tops

Use Marshmallow Fondant (above) or Wilton Decorator Preferred Fondant
  • Roll fondant on lightly dusted surface to 1/4-inch thickness, or more if mold is thicker. 
  • Dust mold with powdered sugar.
  • Press a piece of rolled out fondant into mold, working from the center out, pressing it into all areas of the design.
  • Flip over and press mold into fondant; this somewhat flattens the back (don't press mold all the way down!).
  • Remove the mold; start from an edge, carefully peeling the fondant off the mold.
  • Place fondant piece on waxed paper and cut out the fondant image with the appropriate cutter (for St. Nicholas figure, use the same House on the Hill cutter for cookie and fondant; 1 1/2-inch round cuter for Ukrainian seal; 2 5/8-inch round cutter for Istok icon seal—if cutter circle is a bit larger than design, just cut again from opposite edge.
  • Brush cookie top with light corn syrup to attach the fondant to cookie.
    • Tip The small icon fondant circles may also be used as candies. Just let the air dry a bit to make the design more prominent and the circle firm. 

Supplies 

The standing St. Nicholas figure is from House on the Hill; both the mold and matching copper cutter are available for online purchase from Fante's Kitchen Shop. The larger (2 1/2-inch) icon stamp is from Istok Enterprises, Inc, Russia; the smaller (about 1 1/3-inch) Ukrainian stamp is from workshop-archangel on eBay.

Adapted from Catholic Cuisine and Springerle Joy.  The Marshmallow Fondant Recipe is from theSpruceEats and the sugar cookie recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cook Book, 1961.

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