To Roll Fondant. — Cut off as many pounds of fondant, at least 24 hours old, as you need to make candy. Measure teaspoonful of flavoring extract or less to each pound of candy and add to the flavoring extract 1 drop of the ap propriate coloring matter. Roll the fondant out thin on the slab, sprinkle the coloring matter over it and thor oughly incorporate it by kneading, the same as when working over bread. Have ready prepared sheets of waxed paper. And have at hand nuts, fruit, or decorations for the candies you are abbut to make. Cut the fondant into small pieces and roll into the desired shape with the fin gers or palms. If fruit or nuts are to be used, add them at once while the cream is moist. Or if the centers are to be dipped, set them in order on waxed paper and let stand twenty four hours more to harden.
To Dip Fondant.—If the chocolate for dipping fondants becomes too thick, add to it a little cocoanut oil. This is the natural oil of chocolate, and is, hence, the most appropriate substance with which to thin it. Do not attempt to thin it with hot water, as it will immediately cause the chocolate to grain.
Or use fresh, unsalted butter or olive oil. To dip the centers, use a slender two-tined fork, turn the coni cal point of the chocolate to the right, downward, dip under in a half circle, remove it point first and hold it upright over the chocolate for a moment or two to drip. Then set it down gently on the waxed paper. Add nuts, fruit, or decorations, if any, while the chocolate is still damp. Dip bonbons in the same manner.
To Cream Fondant. — When the sirup is done set it away from the fire and let it stand until about luke warm. Now commence to stir with a wooden paddle. Commence to stir round and round, always in the same direction; keep the sirup away from the sides of the kettle so that it will not grain or form in lumps. Pres ently the edges will commence to show white and dry. The mass must now be laid on a marble slab or a kneading board, which may be dusted with fine flour, cornstarch, or Con fectioners' XXX sugar, and kneaded with the bands in the same manner as bread dough until it is of a uni form soft and creamy consistency.
Place the mass of fondant if not required for use in an earthenware bowl and cover it with several folds of a cloth wrung out so as to be moist but not wet. It may thus be kept for a number of days, and will only re quire to be warmed at the fire or by setting the bowl in a vessel of boiling water or on a hot soapstone, or on two or three common bricks pre viously heated in the oven, to be ready for immediate use. Any rem
nant of the fondant which becomes hard and dry, or it batch of fondant which has been cooked too much, may be softened with hot water and reboiled to the proper degree.
Confectioners' Fondant—The fol lowing recipe is that of a profes sional confectioner, and the full quantities are given for the benefit of dealers in candy, grocers, or per sons desiring to make candy in large quantities for sale at a fair, church bazaar, or otherwise. The quantity of candy here described will require a large kneading board or vat with low sides; but any smooth surface, as a clean kitchen table, will answer. As the mass will be too large to be worked with the hands it is better to take a small garden hoe with a short handle, which should, of course, be scoured clean for the purpose.
Boil down 20 pounds of fine granu lated sugar with 2i quarts of water to the stiff ball. Remove from the fire and sprinkle on top 6 pounds of glucose, but do not stir it in. Set back on the fire and let it boil until the scum boils in.
Note that the glucose must not be added until the sugar is boiled to the hard ball, and must not be stirred, but allowed to boil in of itself. Dust the vat or molding board with Con fectioners' XXX sugar, pour out the mass on this as soon as the scum has boiled in, and let it cool until you can lay your hand on it. But it is better to begin a little sooner than to let it get too cold. Take two short garden hoes or cream scrapers, work it flat and sprinkle over it rather less than I pint of glycerin. Cream thor oughly with the hoes or scrapers, and let stand over night before using. When this fondant is first made it will be rather rough and coarse in texture, but standing twelve hours or more will give it a uniform fine tex ture and it improves with age, never graining or turning stale. If this recipe is carefully followed, a fine quality of cream for chocolate drops, cream candies, and other fondants can be made at a very satisfactory profit.
Fondant without Glueose.—Boil rapidly over a quick fire to the soft ball degree 6 cupfuls of fine granu lated sugar, 2 cupfuls of water, and teaspoonful of cream of tartar.