NEW - Fondant Candies

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* Information and recipes from the Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook (1950)


FONDANT CANDIES

Fondant is a creamy, smooth confection made of sugar, water and some substance such as glucose, cream of tartar, corn syrup or lemon juice.

To insure success in making fondant, use a candy thermometer and remove crystals from sides of pan.

Add flavoring and coloring a drop at a time.

Because there are certain important rules involved in fondant making, all simple when they are pointed out, the following standard recipe is given in much detail, with a list of hints and explanations.


DO’S AND DON'TS OF FONDANT MAKING

1. Every particle of sugar should be melted before the syrup is allowed to boil. If this precaution is not taken and the sugar, being partly dissolved, is allowed to boil, these crystals will not dissolve readily and will cause the syrup to grain.

2. The glucose or cream of tartar is used to prevent too rapid crystallization of the sugar and should be added after the sugar is dissolved.

3. Do not stir or move the pan after the mixture boils, or the syrup will become sugar.

4. Allow the syrup to “settle” before creaming the mass.

5. Add the desired coloring and flavoring to the lukewarm fondant at the beginning of the beating period, if desiring one flavor and color for the entire batch; otherwise, add the coloring and flavoring extract to the fondant as it is used in various candies.

6. Allow the fondant to ripen for one hour before using it to make candies.


TO SHAPE BONBONS

Take any quantity of fondant. Add any desired flavor and color and knead thoroughly until well blended. Break off small pieces of the fondant and shape or cut into balls, cubes, strips, patties, diamonds, or odd shapes. Let stand for several hours to dry.


TO PREPARE FONDANT FOR DIPPING

Place 1 cup of fondant in top of a double boiler, or in a dish placed in a pan of water. Heat, keeping water just below the boiling point. Stir only enough to blend, adding a very small quantity of stock syrup or boiling water if mixture is too stiff. When melted, add the coloring and flavoring desired; stir as little as possible to prevent crystallization. Remove from heat and lower the centers, one at a time, into the mixture on a dipping fork.

NOTE: Work quickly so the fondant will not become too thick to manipulate; in that case, however, add a few drops of boiling water to bring mixture back to correct consistency.

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Chocolate dipping is a difficult process. Proper equipment and ingredients must be available. For success, follow directions.


1. Temperature is important. Keep room between 60 and 70 degrees F. Never dip on a warm or humid day and avoid all drafts.


2. Arrange all equipment conveniently. Have centers ready and at room temperature. Cover wire racks with waxed paper. Place these to right of dipping pan. Have ready a good, tested candy thermometer, a 1½ quart double boiler and a dipping fork.


3. Use special dipping chocolate and grate fine. Melt grated chocolate over hot water in top of double boiler. Melt slowly, stir constantly but never let water boil. Do not melt less than 1 pound or more than 2 pounds of chocolate at one time. When completely melted, immerse bulb of thermometer in chocolate. Continue stirring until chocolate has reached 130 degrees F.


4. Cool quickly by emptying hot water from bottom of double boiler and refilling with cold water. Stir constantly and rapidly, using circular motion, until chocolate has cooled to 83 degrees F.


5. To keep chocolate at this temperature, add hot water to bottom of boiler until water is 85 degrees F. Quickly replace chocolate.


6. Chocolate is now ready for dipping but must always be stirred between each dip. Drop center in chocolate and cover well. Lift out with fork, tap on rim of saucer to remove excess chocolate and draw fork carefully across rim. Invest piece on waxed paper, remove fork and form string across top with chocolate that is still on fork. Work fast. If necessary, repeat steps 3, 4, 5.

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BASIC FONDANT

6 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 Tbsp glucose, or pinch cream of tartar

Place sugar and water in large saucepan and heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved; then stop stirring. Wash down inside of pan to the syrup’s edge with small brush dipped in water, or with fork wrapped in damp cloth. When syrup begins to boil, add glucose or cream of tartar.

Continue boiling, without stirring, until thermometer registers 240 degrees or until few drops form a soft ball when tested in cold water. Remove from heat at once, allow to stand 4 minutes, or until air bubbles disappear; then pour into large wet platter or onto marble slab between candy bars. (The syrup should not be deeper than 1½ inches.) Set in a cool place and when lukewarm (110 degrees) beat with a wooden spoon or a hardwood paddle.

Turn sugar backward and forward, leaving no part untouched, until whole mass becomes white and opaque.

Knead until smooth and free from lumps. Wet and wring a small towel, place it over fondant and allow it to remain there for at least 1 hour. (This is called the curing process.) Remove the cloth and knead just as you would bread dough, until creamy and smooth. Store in an airtight jar. (If left exposed to the air, the fondant will get hard and dry.)

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BUTTER FONDANT

3 cups sugar
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 teaspoon glucose

Place sugar, milk and butter in saucepan; when dissolved, add glucose and cook to 240 degrees or to soft-ball stage.

Remove from heat and pour into platter which as been rinsed with cold water. When cool, beat until creamy; then knead until smooth. Keep in airtight jar. When wanted for use, make into balls for centers.

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MAPLE FONDANT

4 cups brown sugar
2 cups maple syrup
2 cups hot water
1 Tbsp glucose


This fondant is cooked and tested in the same way as the Basic Fondant, but usually requires longer beating to make it creamy. It makes delicious centers, which must be allowed to dry before they are crystallized, dipped in melted fondant or chocolate.

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CANDIES WITH BASIC FONDANT


AFTER-DINNER MINTS

Melt the fondant as for dipping, using such flavor and color combinations as:

(Color) – (Flavor)
White – peppermint, vanilla
Pink – wintergreen
Green – spearmint, almond, lime
Red – cinnamon, clove

The melted fondant may be either dropped from the tip of a spoon or poured through a funnel onto waxed paper or a greased, flat surface. When firm, loosen and lift on a clean, soft cloth.


BURNT ALMOND BONBONS

1 cup blanched almonds
1 cup ground almonds
2 cups flavored Fondant

Brown and chop the blanched almonds. Melt fondant and add both the browned almonds and the ground almonds. Stir well and pour onto a buttered slab. Roll small portions in strips, and then cut the strips into small cushions. Put on waxed paper to dry. Coat with melted fondant, melted chocolate, or glacé syrup.


COCONUT BALLS

Work into 1 cup of vanilla fondant as much chopped, shredded coconut as possible without it becoming too stiff to mold. Roll in balls, allow to dry and dip in melted fondant. Roll in chopped coconut before fondant coating becomes firm.


FRUIT FONDANTS

Into 1 pound of unflavored fondant, knead the following: chopped raisins, chopped dates, chopped figs, and the desired chopped candied fruits. Press into a flat cake about an inch thick and cut into bars. When dry, dip in melted chocolate or melted fondant, or both.

When dipped in melted fondant, decorate with chopped nuts, silver dragées, tiny candies, or small pieces of candied fruit.


NUT CREAMS

Tinted and flavored fondant is very delicious combined with chopped nuts and shaped into balls. Whole nut meats may be pressed into the tops, or the balls may be dipped in chocolate. These balls are good when merely rolled in cocoa or cinnamon.


JAM SANDWICHES

Cut fondant into small squares, putting two squares together with a little strawberry or raspberry jam. Dip in melted chocolate.


CREAMED GRAPES

Cut Malaga or Tokay grapes from the bunches, leaving the steams as long as possible. Wash and dry thoroughly. Holding them by the stems, dip them, one at a time, into some melted flavored fondant; then place on waxed paper to dry. Whole nut meats, pieces of candied fruits, small stemmed fruits and bits of marzipan may also be coated with melted fondant, using a fork to lift them into and out of the fondant.

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CHOCOLATE BONBONS

4 squares grated chocolate
½ pound vanilla fondant


Knead the chocolate into the fondant on a slab. Form into small balls and allow to dry on waxed paper. Dip in melted fondant or in melted coating chocolate.

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These fondant candies seem like a lot of work, but well worth it. To help you add to these wonderful bonbons, check out the recipes posted in "Candy".

Recipes such as:

- Chocolate Almond & Raisin Balls
- Chocolate Almonds
- Chocolate Nougat
- Dipped Chocolate Fudge


And when you have a box full of these bonbons made, send me one! LOL

ENJOY!

[sonomasweetheart]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply but im not sure this is what im looking for. Once you have completed everything is the filling hard like a candy? What im looking for is like a Chocolate that you get a valentines day. With a creamy centre that tastes like Oranges or Strawberrys maybe Moca cream. But its very soft and very creamy.

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Originally Posted by sonomasweetheart

Hi,

Thanks for the reply but im not sure this is what im looking for. Once you have completed everything is the filling hard like a candy? What im looking for is like a Chocolate that you get a valentines day. With a creamy centre that tastes like Oranges or Strawberrys maybe Moca cream. But its very soft and very creamy.

As it says at the very beginning, fondant candies are creamy, smooth confections. They are a sweet, creamy sugar mixture. The word "fondant" is French, meaning "melting". So it would be safe to assume that these candies MELT in your mouth.