royal icing

Combine the egg white and sugar in a mixer bowl and, with a mixer on medium-high speed, whip until stiff peaks form.

MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP

• 1 egg white
• 1 ⅓ cups confectioners’ sugar

HOW TO MAKE A FONDANT BOW

Because the assembly and drying of the fondant bow can take up to 48 hours, make the bow first. It will keep for weeks. You’ll need 18 ounces of fondant and the Royal Icing on page 209 for this project.

1. On a flat work surface dusted with sifted confectioners’ sugar, roll out about one-third of the fondant into a rectangle ⅛ inch thick; keep the rest covered so it doesn’t dry out. Using a small knife or pizza wheel, cut out about 10 strips ¾ to 1 inch wide, ranging in length from 5 to 8 inches. Repeat twice for a total of about 30 strips of varying lengths; this gives you a few extra.
2. As each batch of strips is finished, drape them over a broom handle or dowel about 1 inch in diameter. Moisten the ends slightly and pinch them together to form teardrop-shaped loops. Allow the loops to dry for about 24 hours.
3. To hold the bow while it dries, line a flat-bottomed 8-inch bowl or plastic container with a small round of waxed paper. Spoon about 1 tablespoon Royal Icing into the center. Gently slip the fondant loops off the dowel. Using the largest loops first, arrange them pointed ends stuck into the icing and loops facing out, so they are lying flat in a circle like the spokes of a wheel. Now add more icing to the center and a layer of slightly smaller loops, this time standing up the row slightly and filling in any spaces below.
4. Keep adding icing and loops until the bow is the desired fullness. The shortest loops fill out the center. Allow the bow to dry thoroughly.