Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
White Fondant
Ingredients
Directions
Make the syrup
Combine sugar, hot water, and cream of tartar in a smooth granite pan.
Heat gradually to boiling point without stirring.
Boil until a small amount forms a soft ball when tested in cold water.
Pour slowly onto a slightly oiled platter or slab.
Work and rest
Let it stand for a few minutes to cool, but not long enough to harden around the edges.
Work with a wooden spoon until it becomes white and creamy.
Knead until smooth.
Place in a bowl.
Cover with oiled paper to prevent a crust from forming.
Let stand for 24 hours.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sugar
- Forms the bulk of the fondant, setting into a fine, smooth crystal structure as it is worked.
- Cream of tartar
- Acidifies the syrup, helping prevent large sugar crystals from forming for a smoother texture.
The step that matters
Working the fondant after cooling. If the mass is worked while too hot or left too long before kneading, large crystals form and the fondant turns grainy rather than smooth. Letting it cool only until the surface begins to thicken, then working it, keeps the crystals fine and the texture creamy.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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