Fondant Fancies - Recipe

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INGREDIENTS
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 225g butter, softened
  • 225g caster sugar
  • grated rind of 1 lemon
  • 4 eggs
  • 250g unsalted butter, softened
  • 200g icing sugar
  • 200g marzipan
  • 3 tbsp apricot jam, heated & sieved
  • 1kg white fondant icing, cubed
  • 150ml water
  • food colouring, as desired
  • flavouring, as desired
  • 100g white chocolate
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F. Grease and line a 28cm square cake tin.
  2. Beat flour, butter, sugar, lemon rind and eggs together until smooth then place in the cake tin and tap lightly to level out.
  3. Bake for about 40 minutes and test by inserting a metal skewer into the middle – if the cake is cooked, it will come out clean. Allow to stand in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Place in the fridge to chill.
  4. Beat the unsalted butter and icing sugar together until pale and smooth. Place 100g in a piping bag and put in the fridge to firm up. Reserve the remaining buttercream for the cake sides.
  5. Roll the marzipan out thinly, brush the top of the cake with the jam and cover with the marzipan. Return the cake to the fridge to chill.
  6. Cut the cake into 25 equal squares making sure all the edges are straight and neat.
  7. Coat the sides of each square with buttercream then, using the the piping bag, pipe a blob of buttercream on the top of each in the centre. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  8. Using a food processor or hand mixer, blend the icing until it stars to break down, adding a splash of water if necessary. Very gradually add the water until the icing becomes smooth and more liquid. Add flavouring and food colouring to taste.
  9. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Once melted, place the chocolate in piping bag and set aside.
  10. Take the cakes out of the fridge and place one onto a fork at an angle. Dip into the icing and carefully set onto a cooling rack, taking care to avoid getting fingerprints on it. Repeat with each cake then leave on the rack to set.
  11. Drizzle the chocolate in a zig-zag pattern over the top of the fancies and leave to set.