Wednesday 20 May 2015

How to cut fondant squares by hand (without a cutter)

One of the hardest shapes to cut for me initially were the squares, especially when I don't have a square cutter. I used to dread it when I have orders that require me to cut squares. It was painstaking cutting them one by one and making sure they are perfectly square. Eventually I did manage to get myself a set of square cutters recently but even then, I found they were not perfectly sharp at the edges and there were only 3 limited sizes. Very often, depending on the order and design requirements, I find that I have to cut them by hand anyway. 

Good news for me is I've discovered a way to make those squares like a factory! I'm sure there are more than one way to cut fondant square and maybe the rest of the world have already been doing it like this and I'm one of the last to realise but just for anyone who might be curious, this is how I'll do it. Hope it helps and happy to hear someone share another way so we can all learn together.

Equipment
1) A quilting ruler. Yes, I don't believe that an essential tool that I used to use for patchwork can come in so handy for cake decorating. :) The straight lines, markings at regular intervals and the sharp right angles will be our guide to getting the perfect square shape.

2) Rolling or pizza cutter. Well, another household tool with multiple uses.


 Steps:
1) Roll out your fondant on a cutting mat in a long rectangular shape. It does not matter if the rectangle is not exactly one.

2) Using your quilting ruler and pizza cutter, cut a straight line in the middle.

3) Using that straight line as your reference and the lines on the ruler as a guide, cut more strips to the left and right of the first line the width you want, each time moving the ruler and using the last line as a reference. You will find some strips longer and shorter. That's ok.



4) Turn the ruler 90 degrees and match the lines on the ruler. You can see through the transparent ruler so that makes it easy to position your ruler to make sure they are exactly aligned. Measuring the same width as before, cut horizontally with your pizza cutter.

5) Start from the bottom and work your way up. Remove the ruler and remove those pieces of fondant at the edges that didn't make it to a square. Viola, you have square fondant tiles that any tiler would be proud of!



6) Let them set and harden a little before breaking up and moving the pieces to dry further or apply to cake.


Really useful for cakes such as Minecraft. Have fun! :)



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