Another fondant question.?!
Answers: I have some of the paste kind of icing to use to color my fondant leaves. This is for an event on Friday. Someone told me I should start the process of mixing the fondant and cutting the leaves a week in advance. Is this true?
If you want the leaves to be stiff, then cutting them out a week in advance is great. If, however, you want flexibility in your fondant to have it lay against a cake, then you want to cut it as you use it. I cut fondant out ahead (sometimes a week or more) when they are used as decorations on cupcakes, cakes or cookies and just set them on the buttercream the day of the event. It's also great to add detail with royal icing after it firms up a little.
I use paste color to color my fondant and I get very rich color with depth. I store my cut out fondant on layers of parchment to keep it clean and allow it to get air so that it hardens nicely.
When you are cutting it out, you may want to dust your board and your cutters with corn starch. When the pieces are dry, use a pastry brush and brush the white off. It will make the fondant less sticky and easier to work with.