36.2 Fondant

Fondant is a crystalline candy too, made the same way as fudge but with nothing in it except sugar, water and, sometimes, one interfering agent. Changing that one agent shows how each affects the crystals.

Five versions

• sugar and water alone, with no interfering agent
• with 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar added
• with 1 tbsp. light corn syrup added
• with half the white sugar swapped for brown sugar
• with 1 tbsp. butter added

The method

• Put everything in a heavy saucepan and stir over the heat until the sugar dissolves.
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• Keep cooking over medium heat until it boils.
• Clean the inside walls of the pan. Wrap clean, damp cheesecloth around a fork and wipe them down, or put the lid on and let the syrup boil for 2 or 3 minutes. see chapter 7: Sugar
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• Boil on to the soft ball stage, 114°C (237°F). Stir only if the syrup is about to scorch. Check with the thermometer and with the cold water test.
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• Pour about two thirds of the syrup onto a buttered plate straight away. Do not scrape the pan.
• Leave it alone until it cools to lukewarm, 40°C (104°F).
• Beat it hard so that it crystallizes again, then knead it with your hands until it is smooth, soft and easy to shape.

Ripening

Fondant changes after it is made. Wrap half of the kneaded fondant in waxed paper, label it, and store it until the next session so you can see how it ripens. Keep the leftover third of the syrup covered in a labeled cup as well. Some of it will crystallize on its own, and you can compare the size of those crystals on the day you made it and the day you look again.

A good fondant

Good fondant meets several marks.

• white, except for the butter and brown sugar versions
• a smooth surface
• moist and easy to bend without being sticky
• holds a cut edge
• feels very smooth in the mouth
• a flavor that matches the recipe