Fondant
Ingredients
Directions
Make the syrup
Combine the sugar, water, and glucose in a perfectly clean copper or brass pan.
Dissolve the ingredients very slowly over low heat.
Boil the mixture to 245°F (118°C) or until it reaches the soft ball stage.
Skim carefully while boiling.
Cool and work
Once ready, pour onto a marble slab lightly sprinkled with cold water.
As the edges begin to set, work the fondant up and down with a spatula until cool enough to handle.
Store in a covered jar for 12 to 24 hours, or knead until soft for immediate use.
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
What each ingredient does
- Loaf sugar
- Forms the bulk of the candy and, once cooked and worked, gives the fondant its smooth, soft body.
- Glucose
- Interferes with sugar crystal formation, helping the fondant stay smooth rather than grainy.
- Water
- Dissolves the sugar so it can be heated into a syrup that cooks evenly.
The step that matters
Working the fondant as it sets. Stirring or working the cooling syrup as its edges crystallise encourages many tiny sugar crystals to form, which keeps the fondant smooth. Working it too early or too late changes the texture.
“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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