Fondant dinosaur tutorial

This cute little dinosaur will light up your kids’ faces! Use them to top cupcakes or cakes for birthdays and parties. Roar!

To help you with the sizing, the steps will be indicated on a grid. The length of four combined squares equals 1 inch, which means two of the squares is 1/2 inch.

If you’re making the fondant Stegosaurus to top a cupcake, keep the Stegosaurus within 2 inches in length.

Directions:

Cut out a piece of white-colored fondant, about 25-30 grams. You will need more fondant for the body, so divide the fondant into 75 percent and 25 percent portions. Using a toothpick, dab the gel paste icing color and insert it into one of the fondant pieces. Knead the fondant until there are no streaks and the fondant is evenly colored. Repeat coloring process for the remaining fondant.

Tip: Do not double-dip the toothpick, always use a new one if you need the fondant to be a shade darker. This prevents introducing any contamination to your gel paste.

Tip: Use gel paste icing colors because it’ll create a more saturated color with the fondant. Any kind of moisture, like liquid food coloring and dyes, will make the fondant sticky and difficult to work with.

From the fondant to make the body, divide it into 80 percent and 20 percent portions. The smaller portion will be used to make the legs. To make the body of the Stegosaurus, gently roll the fondant into the shape of a garden slug. On the left side of the body, gently pat the fondant to create a round end for the head. On the right side of the body, gently roll the fondant to create a pointy end for the tail. The body should remain bulky and will look like a hill.

Divide the fondant into four equal pieces. One at a time, roll them between the palms of your hands to create spheres. Place them on a flat surface and use your fingers to shape them into rough squares.

Dab another toothpick with water and apply a droplet of water to the top of the four legs.

Gently turn the body of the Stegosaurus over and apply all four legs underneath. The legs should be able to hold up the body right away. Let it stand and set aside.

To make the spikes for the Stegosaurus, roll out the fondant to about 2 millimeters thick.

Trim off the excess fondant, the strip should be 2 inches in length and 1/2 inch in width.

It almost looks like a stick of gum!

Using a knife, cut out mini-triangles from one length of the fondant. The tips of the triangle should stop before it reaches half of the fondant’s width. Remove the triangles and roll them back into a ball to keep the fondant from drying out.

With a toothpick, gently score the top of the Stegosaurus. Next, dab a small amount of water to act as an adhesive. If you’ve applied too much water, wipe it away with a clean napkin.

Carefully peel the fondant spikes off your work surface. Place the straight side of the spikes over the scored line. Hold it in place until the spikes can stand on its own.

To add the eyes, use chocolate, brown, or black-colored jimmies. Insert one on each side of the head while the fondant is still soft.

This is optional, but it’s nice to have a smiling Stegosaurus! With a knife, carefully slice the bottom of the head horizontally. Wedge the mouth open a little bit.

Let the fondant Stegosaurus dry for a couple of hours before placing it on top of frosting or icing. You can also make these weeks in advance. When you are finished, store them in a safe and dry area, away from sunlight. The container does not have to be airtight.

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