Baby Booties (from Fondant)
Ingredients: fondant a ball the size of an orange baking paper, as big as a sheet of notebook a brush a small box of water a very sharp knife with a pointed tip a silicone mold for shapes (optional) a small rolling pin powdered sugar artificial coloring (optional)
Knead the fondant between your fingers to restore its elasticity, which is an essential step especially if the fondant is older and has dried out a bit. After kneading it, we place it in a plastic bag to prevent it from drying out. Then, we prepare a baking paper on which we draw the outline of the sole and the cuff of the baby booties. We carefully cut out the shapes, marking the joining points and setting them aside for later use.
Next, we organize our work surface, making sure we have a knife, a brush, a small container of water, and a rolling pin at hand. The work surface should be dusted with powdered sugar, although cornstarch can be an alternative, it should be noted that the latter tends to dry out the fondant, so we will need to work faster. We roll out a sheet of fondant about 2 mm thick.
We place the baking paper with the cut outline on the sheet of fondant and, using a sharp knife, we begin to cut out the shapes. To obtain the pair of booties, we turn the template over and repeat the process. After cutting both soles and cuffs, we put them back in the plastic bag to prevent them from drying out. Using our fingers, we smooth the edges to remove any imperfections.
Once we finish smoothing, we put all the shapes back in the bag and prepare for the next step. The cuff of the booties is noted on paper so that we remember how to assemble them. We take out a sole and a cuff from the plastic bag, being careful to match them correctly. We moisten the edge of the sole with the brush, being careful not to apply too much water as it could damage the fondant.
We hold the cuff with our fingers, ensuring that the side with the strap is on top. If we want, we can replace the buckle with a small fondant flower, which will add a nice detail. We place the cuff on the moistened sole and secure it with a toothpick, pressing gently.
We repeat the same process for the second bootie. We take a piece of fondant, form a long and thin roll which we braid in two, applying it to the top edge of the booties. Before attaching it, we lightly moisten the contact area to ensure effective adhesion. We let the booties dry.
The fondant is soft, so it is recommended to place pieces of tissue inside the booties to support them until the fondant hardens. Once they have hardened, we can remove the tissue and obtain the finished booties. In the meantime, we can prepare the desired decorations, and if we like, we can use edible paint to color the booties according to the preferences of the future mom. We can also add coloring directly into the fondant to achieve a uniform color, but it is important to consider the preferences of each mother, which can vary significantly.
