How to make Fondant Fingers

I love Halloween. I always thought it was the vibrant colors and fun costumes, but the older I get the more I realize there is something that I love even more than the colors and the costumes, it’s the creative food! Take these fondant fingers for an example. They can take a simple chocolate pudding cup and turn it into an after school snack and your kids will think you are the most creative mom ever!Or you can place them in a few cupcakes and give them to your co-workers. I made brownies from a box mix and placed them on a platter of chopped up Oreo “dirt” and served them with the fondant fingers so it looked like zombies were coming from beyond the grave to get them. What other holiday can inspire food to do all of that?

Supplies for Fondant Fingers:

Fondant- Here is a recipe for a Easy Full Batch of Fondant Recipe, a Easy Fondant Half a Batch Recipe or a Small Marshmallow Fondant Recipe. Make the one that best fits the size you need.
Tylose Powder
Ivory Food Gel Color-I prefer Americolor Ivory
White fondant mixed with a small amount of the flesh colored fondant
Bubble Tea Straw
Scissors
Knife
Optional-Cocoa Powder and a paint brush

I want to warn you, this post is a little photo heavy. I wanted to make sure you can see exactly how simple this project is so I took a ton of picture so you wouldn’t have any questions. If you do have questions, please email me because I am here to help you anyway I can.

Before we get started, let’s talk about Tylose Powder. Tylose Powder is a gum powder you can add to fondant to make it dry quicker and harder like gum paste. That said, don’t eat it. I am pretty sure if you try to eat one of these fingers it will break your teeth out. Maybe not but why chance it. If you add Tylose Poweder to fondant, just assume that the fondant has moved from the edible category to the decoration category. This isBegin by making a batch of fondant. I have included 3 different recipes under the supply list. I used the smallest one for this project and it was the perfect size.

Once you make the fondant, add a small amount of Americolor Ivory Gel color to make it the flesh color you want. Then, add a little Tylose Powder. It doesn’t take much, just sprinkle a little and mix it well. Next, pinch off a piece and roll it into a ball.

Then, roll it into a sausage shape.Make sure it is not to thick or thin and about the size of your finger. Place the fondant finger in between your index fingers and roll it to make an indent. Repeat near the base of the fondant finger.Once you have made the indents, check the fondant finger with your finger to make sure it is the right with and length. It is starting to take shape and it hasn’t been hard so far has it? 😉

Now let’s fix the finger nail. This will make or break your finger. Get it? Break your finger. I am killing myself today!

I will admit, you don’t have to have a ‘bubble tea straw’ in order to make this work. I am sure you can find a ‘fat’ straw at a restaurant or local craft store. Try to find one that can be trimmed to look like your finger nail. The width is important.

To see how to trim it, watch the video I made for you. Once you make the straw the shape you want, keep it because once people know you can make these, they will ask you for them.

Place the straw in the tip of finger and push it in. Rub the edges of the finger while the straw is pressed into it. When you remove the straw, it should look a lot like your finger. Pretty cool huh?

Now we need to make it a little more realistic. Make a few lines in the knuckles using a sharp knife. The video will show you exactly how to do it. Next, take a little white fondant and add a pinch of the ivory colored fondant to it and mix well. It doesn’t take much and you don’t need to add more Tylose Powder. The ivory color should have enough to make the nail properly.Flatten the fondant over the straw you used to make the dent in the finger nail.

Next, use the knife to trim off the excess. Use a little water to attach the finger nail to the fondant finger. It doesn’t take much.

Use the straw to push the nail in place. Again, rub the sides of the finger over the straw to make the nail look like it is attached to the finger instead of sitting on top of it. You did it! You made a fondant finger that looks real!

If you want to use it for Halloween or just give it a creepy factor, you an use a paint brush to dust it with cocoa powder. Shake off the excess.

Be sure to add a little under the finger nail because zombies are dirty and don’t get regular manicures and pedicures like they should. You know what?  With that logic, I might just be a zombie! I haven’t had a mani pedi in a long, long time! Note to self, do that this week.

If you want your fondant finger to have a little shape, you can dry it over a straw. It should dry completely in about 8 hours or so.

Enjoy your video!

You don’t have to use the fondant fingers to decorate food. You can place them on a platter or have them hang around a skull in a center piece. Get creative! I know you have more ideas than I do. I would love to see them so email me some picture to lisa@thebearfootbaker.com, tag me or tweet me or bring it over and we will make something together. 😉

Bear hugs,