Basic Fondant:
3/4 c Water; boiling
2 c Sugar
1/8 ts Cream of tartar
Chocolate-Dipped Fondant:
Basic fondant
1 lb Dipping/coating chocolate;
- shave into small pieces
Basic Fondant:
Heat water to boiling in 2 to 3 qt saucepan and remove from heat.
Add sugar and cream of tartar. Stir with wooden spoon until all
sugar dissolves, 6 to 8 minutes, taking care not to splash mixture
on sides of pan. Place syrup mixture over medium-high heat. Heat
almost to boiling. Cover pan tightly with lid and remove from heat.
Let stand 3 minutes. Uncover, return to heat and boil briskly. Do
not move pan or stir during this time. While syrup cooks, wash any
crystals that form on sides of pan by wrapping damp cloth around
tines of fork and wiping crystals out with upward motion so that no
crystals fall back into syrup. Continue cooking until syrup reaches
soft-ball stage, exactly 238 F on candy thermometer, about
35 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand very few minutes, or
just until bubbles disappear. At once, pour onto marble slab or
large, shallow platter. Do not scrape pan. Let cool undisturbed
until slab or bottom of platter feels comfortably cool to palm of
hand (about 105 F), about 50 minutes. Now start turning edges of
candy in toward center, using spatula or wooden spoon. As candy
turns creamy and crumbly, gather mixture up in your hands and knead
as you would bread until you get a smooth, white ball of fondant.
Wrap fondant in plastic and store in glass jar covered with tight
lid. Let fondant mellow 24 hours to 3 days. Remove fondant ball
from jar and form into small balls.
Makes 3/4 pound
Chocolate-Dipped Fondant:
Place chocolate in top part of double boiler. In lower part, place
enough warm water (100 to 120 F) to touch top pan. Keep water
temperature constant. Melting chocolate takes time. Do not hurry.
When chocolate is softened, remove top of double boiler from water
and stir vigorously until smallest lumps are all worked out. This
creaming develops chocolate texture; it must be repeated often
throughout dipping. Exchange warm water for cooler water (85 F) in
bottom of double boiler. Make sure chocolate does not come in
contact with steam or water, even trace can spoil it. Pour 1 c
chocolate onto marble slab or into small bowl. Work back and forth
with fingers until chocolate feels cool, 83 F is perfect.
Knowing when chocolate is cool comes with practice. To test, let it
string from tip of hand into melted chocolate. If it holds ruffly
appearance on surface for a few seconds.
