Les Trois Mousquetaires and fondant fancies

I have been busy for a good few days. Regardless that I have taken the last few days off work, I have had no rest practically.

It is all because my beloved hunky boyfriend, Z kept me busy every night. No, I don’t mean like that. It was annual panto presented by Woolton Drama Group. I’m no actor in the group, but my culinary skills do make me lots of friends. Last year’s King Arthur brought bucket load of laughter to us, so we decided to portrait another monarch, however, this year the background is set in France....The Three Musketeers.

Z is the director of the panto. As the ‘woman’ behind the successful man, there are lots of background work needed to be done and iron out. Even with my busy schedule of work, gym, family and being pretty, I did my best to lift some of the stress from my loved one. As always, I was stressed through the last week, busy on making tabards for the musketeers and fondant fancy for the interval refreshments. I have been thinking hundred of time that I will not do all these again, it is always stressful and frustrated if the product didn’t turn out well. However, the compliment from the audience about my confectionary was rewarding, especially from those who don’t know me at all. One of the actress’ mum went to see the show, the first thing she said to her daughter after the performance was not about her appearance on stage, it was about my fondant fancies. They absolutely loved it. After all the hard work and time I put in, and then I heard that, it gives me a heart-warming feeling and passion for next creation.

Well, enough lollygagging, let’s get down to business. So, what is fondant fancy?

Fondant fancy is basically sponge cake, cut into square, brushed with jam all sides, with a dollop of butter cream on top, and then cover with fondant icing. Each fondant has to be iced individually, and coated all side. It was highly labour-intensive, a pair of hand is not enough to make ‘industrial’ quantity, even with Z’s helping hands. Therefore, I changed it into Victoria sponge with a twist.

Victorian Fancies (about 12 portions)

Sponge
3 eggs
6 oz caster sugar
6 oz spreadable butter
½ tsp lemon extract
6 oz self raising flour
2 tsp baking powder

Butter cream
175g icing sugar
75g butter

Rosé lime and lemon marmalade

Icing
1 Lemons, zest and juice
2 drops of natural yellow food colouring
250g-350g icing sugar

1.Preheat a 180oC/gas mark 4 oven.

2.Whisk the eggs and sugar together. Then mix in the butter and beat until fluffy.

3.Lemon extract goes in, and then sieve the flour and baking powder into the mix.

4.Fold the flour into the butter mix until lumps of flour disappeared.

5.Line a 12”x8”x1”deep baking tray with greaseproof/ non-stick baking paper.

6.Pour the mix into the tray and bake for 20 minutes.

7.Meanwhile, beat the butter and icing sugar to pale and fluffy, put a few drops of water if the mix is to stiff to work with.

Tips: You can test the sponge by pressing the top of it. If it bounced back and left no finger print, that’s done.

8.Cool down the cake at room temperature, it takes a few hours, but I usually cool it down over night. You should have a sponge about an inch thick.

9.Slice the sponge into two half-inch thick layers. Spread one layer with butter cream and then spread marmalade on top. Cover it with the second layer, then cut the cake into 12 squares, about 1.5 inches x 1.5 inches.

10.To make the icing, mix the lemon juice and zest and food colouring together.
Mix in the icing sugar gradually, beat until it reaches a cream-like consistency, add more icing sugar if it’s needed. Use it immediately.

11.Put the cake squares onto a griddle, put a tray underneath to catch dropped icing. Pour the icing on top of the cakes, let the icing flow over the edges and cover the sides. Don’t move it until it sets.