Fondant

This is a soft creamy smooth clay-like paste. It's really pliable and easy to work with, so it usually winds up as perfect icing on cakes (wedding cakes mostly) and decorations on cakes but can be used as the center of candies. This is one recipe that will make you look damn cool making. It is similar to sugarpaste, but not the same thing. This is not a recipe for "rolled fondant."

But there are draw backs because it is fairly dangerous. Since it's cooked to late softball it is at 240 degrees Fahrenheit when it is finished cooking it will easily burn. There are also a few utensils that you might not have in your house that are absolutely required.

1 marble slab: It has to be thick enough to absorb the heat of the sugar without breaking and be highly polished. You will probably have to go to a really nice cooking store to find this. You can use a baking sheet or wooden cutting board (not one meat has touched) but if you plan on making this more than once you should make it easy on yourself.

1 steel scraper: This is like a knife that is held with the horizontal plane parallel to the marble slab. A wooden spoon will also work, but might make it harder for you to work with.

There are some recipes that require eggs as well as evaporated milk or cream of tartar. Some even require gelatin. Here's a basic recipe I got off of PastryWiz.com. It is basic fondant.

• 1 pound sugar
• 1/4 pound water
• 1/5 pound light corn syrup

After cooked to 240 with stirring you work it much the way you do Marzipan, and this is the dangerous part. You pour the hot sugar out onto the marble slab, watching that you don't spill any of it. Make sure that it won't spread out too far because you have to leave it until it reaches 110 (an hour). When cool push it to the center of the slab with the spoon or knife. Then start working it in a figure 8. Occasionally scrape it all back into the 8, this is why the knife is more useful than a spoon.

When it has reached the paste stage (crumbly and soft) and is cool enough you handle; you can knead it like bread (fold it in on itself). At this point you can add in flavoring or coloring and knead it in. After this you can lightly dust a rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll it out, place it over a cake and cut off the excess.

You can also form the pieces of fondant into round shapes or squares and chocolate dip them. Marzipan is easily paired with fondant in candies. I encourage other candy makers to node their chocolate fondant recipes, or variations on mine. I know you want to BlueDragon.

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I did ask BlueDragon to node that recipe, I think it would be invauable to first time fondant makers. It is also the experience of a candy maker behind it, she rocks. I would suggest anyone read both before cooking. Thank you.

Fondant comes from the French word 'fondre' - to melt, and traditional European fondant is a melted concoction of boiled sugar and glucose used as a candy, frosting or icing. It is not the same as rolled fondant or chocolate fondant. It does require quite a lot of experience to make it well.

Boiled fondant

Ingredients

• 5 fluid ounces water
• 1 lb granulated sugar
• 3 level tablespoons glucose (or a pinch of cream of tartar)

Method

1. Put the water in a pan, add the sugar and heat gently until dissolved
2. Bring the syrup to the boil, add the glucose and boil until 116°C/240°F (soft ball stage) is reached
3. Sprinkle a marble slab (or similar) with a little cold water, pour on the syrup, mist lightly with more water and allow to cool to 43°C/110°F. It is very important not to work the mixture before it has cooled to this temperature or the resultant fondant will be grainy instead of smooth. If you don't have a slab, turn it into a bowl until cool, then work it on a sheet of greaseproof or parchment paper
4. As soon as the temperature is right and a skin starts to form around the edges, work with a metal spatula, bring the edges into the centre and working back and forth. The mixture gradually becomes opaque, white and stiff. Continue until a light, creamy texture is achieved, possibly for up to 40 minutes
5. Fondant can be stored in a fridge until required. Reheat to a maximum of 110°F before use

Fondant Creams

Knead some prepared fondant with a little cream or butter until workable. Add a little colouring and/or flavouring - peppermint creams are very popular. Roll to required thickness, cut with fancy shape cutters and leave to dry. Alternatively reheat the fondant mixture to 110°F and pour into moulds in a rubber fondant mat.

Good Housekeeping

Fon"dant (fon"dant; Fr. foN`däN"), n. [F., lit., melting, p. pr. of fondre to melt, L. fundere. See Found to cast.]

A kind of soft sweetmeat made by boiling solutions to the point of crystallization, usually molded; as, cherry fondant.

 

© Webster 1913