I am trying to roll some fondant/gumpaste balls to make characters for a cake and am having all kinds of problems!!! The balls keep splitting!!! I've tried adding crisco, water...nothing works!!! HELP!!!

i don't know how to explain this in writing...You need to just keep pressing a finger into the ball and rounding it like you do to rolls before you proof them. Press your fingr in to make the ball round on one side, then pinch the ends together. Keep doing that and there will be a seam on one side that you can pretty much roll out by pressing and rolling the ball between your hands. If it's too dry it won't stick together, so you might want to add a little water? Don't use cornstarch whatever you do, that will make it more dry and it won't stick toagether. Just keep working at it.

AThanks. I understand what you're describing and I did that. Still wouldn't get smooth... I made the monkey anyway, but it still has small cracks. I'll probably make another. [IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/2903335/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

I just figured this out last night in class... when I rolled my fondat/gumpaste on my sponge I got a smooth and round ball instead of using just my hands... I don't know if it will work for you but it helped me out.

Thanks! I will try that when I redo the moneky :)

Try a kneading in a small amount of glycerine. I had the same problem and it worked for me. Good luck

Well I still have some seams in the back, but overall I'm happy :) Thanks guys!

AThis might sound silly, but making it a bit tacky and gooey will get rid of that seam. Like so tacky it sticks to your hands. But the layer of tacky will eventually smooth out any seams, and then dust it with corn starch to dry it back out.

i don't know if this might be it or not

but i think at least some of this can be eliminated by really kneading our stuff before we proceed

and keep it from drying in between

maybe not all of the issues but some of them (thinking of other recent similar posts)

then roll a sausage--freshly kneaded again if necessary

then get/cut the size/amount you require

roll a ball out of it --the seams should disappear/dissolve...in a perfect world i guess

Try microwaving your piece (less than 10 seconds), then rolling it into a ball, then forming your parts...

I won't even attempt modeling without my microwave.