How to Dye Fondant Icing

Fondant already comes in a rainbow of delicious-looking colours, but unless you're a profesh baker or have a project coming up where you can justify purchasing 500 grams of the stuff in every colour known to man, you may find yourself wasting it and tossing what you don't use in the rubbish bin. Or, you could just buy the plain white stuff, break off a hunk of it as needed and dye it then and there, saving you loads of money and ensuring you aren't too wasteful.

I've been sitting on this post since last year, when I made those triple chocolate eclairs. Those little red and pink fondant hearts were so easy to make and so cheap, too! Instead of spending money on a pack of pink fondant and a pack of red, I just bought white, cut off two bits, dyed them and then made hearts. Easy!

You can dye fondant quickly and easily for any recipe you need it for. Store it in the usual manner, give it a good knead and a sprinkle of icing/confectioner's sugar if it becomes too brittle and dry, and then decorate until your heart's content.

If you're after an easy but impressive Valentine's Day treat, then this one's for you! The decadent chocolately eclairs are delicious with their super sweet heart-shaped fondant pieces ... and they're cinch to make!

Ingredients:

For the dyed fondant
white fondant icing
paste colour of your choice
edible glitter (optional)
icing/confectioner's sugar

How to Dye Fondant Icing

Instructions:

Start with a ball of white fondant.
Dip a cocktail stick or toothpick into paste gel food colouring and brush against the flattened disc of fondant.
Repeat until you have enough to reach your desired shade of colour.
Knead the fondant to incorporate the colour.
If necessary, add more colour until desired colour it achieved.
Knead in a bit of edible glitter, if using.