Fondant Recipes

Use Grandma's Fondant Recipes To Make Homemade Chocolates And Quality Candies

These easy fondant recipes will let you make a wide variety of quality candies and delectable chocolates. Fondant makes excellent centers for chocolates. You can easily mold creamy fondant into uniform balls or egg shapes by using your hands and rolling them between the palms to make them smooth. Any of the fondant recipes may be used for chocolate making.

Or, you can use a candy mold to shape the softened fondant into special shapes. Candy molds now come in hundreds of shapes and sizes and are available online. Simply press the soft fondant into the mold. If you spray the mold lightly with cooking oil first, the fondant will release more easily.

Once your fondants are molded, chill them for a while in the refrigerator in preparation for dipping in chocolate. You will enjoy experimenting with these old-fashioned fondant recipes.

Fondant Making

Fondant, the basis of all French candy, is made of sugar and water boiled together (with a small quantity of cream of tartar to prevent sugar from granulating) to soft ball, 238°F. The professional confectioner is able to decide when syrup has boiled to the right temperature by sound while boiling, and by testing in cold water; these tests at first seem somewhat difficult to the amateur, but only a little experience is necessary to make fondant successfully. A sugar thermometer is often employed and proves valuable, as by its use one need not exercise his judgement.

White Fondant Recipe

2-1/2 lb sugar, 1-1/2 cups hot water, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. Put ingredients into a smooth-granite stewpan. Stir, place on range, and heat gradually to boiling-point. Boil without stirring until, when tried in cold water, a soft ball may be formed that will just keep in shape, which is 238°F.

After a few minutes' boiling, sugar will adhere to sides of kettle; this should be carefully washed off with the hand first dipped in cold water. Have a pan of cold water near at hand, dip hand in cold water, then quickly wash off a small part of the sugar with tips of fingers, and repeat until all sugar adhering to side of saucepan is removed. If this is quickly done, there is no danger of burning the fingers. Note: Using a wet pastry brush or small damp cloth is much safer for those with less experience!

Pour slowly on a slightly oiled marble slab. Let stand a few minutes to cool, but not long enough to become hard around the edge. Scrape fondant with chopping knife to one end of marble, and work with a wooden spatula until white and creamy. It will quickly change from this consistency and begin to lump, when it should be kneaded with the hands until perfectly smooth. Put into a bowl, cover with oiled paper to exclude air, that a crust may not form on top, and let stand twenty-four hours. A large oiled platter and wooden spoon may be used in place of marble slab and spatula.

Always make fondant on a clear day, as a damp, heavy atmosphere has an unfavorable effect on the boiling of sugar.

Coffee Fondant Recipe

2-1/2 lb sugar, 1/4 cup ground coffee, 1-1/2 cups cold water, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. Put water and coffee in saucepan, and heat to boiling-point. Strain through double cheese cloth; then add sugar and cream of tartar. Boil, and work same as White Fondant.

Maple Fondant Recipe

1-1/4 lb maple sugar, 1 cup hot water, 1-1/4 lb sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. Break maple sugar in pieces and add to remaining ingredients. Boil, and work same as White Fondant.

How To Make Fondant

Four cups of best granulated sugar (white) to which add 2 cups of boiling water and one-fourth teaspoonful of pure cream of tartar. Stir until dissolved, but do not stir while boiling. Boil until three drops fall slowly, a thread slowly forming from the third drop. Also watch the bubbles break slowly as it boils. If it threads directly from the spoon with the first drop, it will revert to sugar. If a thermometer is used, it must reach 40° Baume; about 238°F. A little experience without a thermometer will give success. Skim the sugar while boiling, also the sides of the kettle with a wet cloth on a fork as the scum arises. Do not boil too briskly, but moderately.

When it threads pour into the flat dish, from which the water has been perfectly drained just before removing the candy from the fire, and add one teaspoonful of glycerin to each cup of sugar, and one teaspoonful of vanilla, or any flavoring desired: If two flavors are desired, divide the candy. Do not scrape the bottom and sides of the boiler, when pouring it out.

When the finger can be held in the candy with comfort, knead back and forth with a batter cake turner until it "bucks." This work must be done rapidly and evenly, having the dish level. When impossible to move the mass, use forks to mash it; then knead with hands until smooth.

This is called stock fondant, and it will keep a month in a cool place, and can be worked into fancy candies, but I prefer to mold while slightly warm. Do not handle too much.

How To Mold The Fondant

Some of this white stock may be molded into squares, rounds, diamonds, wrapped around a whole almond, or other nuts, rolled in grated coconut, dipped into chocolate coating, or made in layers one-fourth inch thick and four inches long, with a layer of dried figs between, and when cold cut into traditional diamonds, etc., or a layer of pineapple may be used. Also...

• Add a touch of pink paste to white cream, also violet, yellow, green, and chocolate to white cream.


• Make two layers of white with either color between, as fancy dictates, and cut into shapes or make into balls.


• Trim the sides of the layer before cutting, and the ragged edges can be put together, forming striped blocks of several rollups, whereas the layer only showed white and pink, or some other color.


• Melt chocolate for brown, make into shapes, and place halves of walnuts on top of all rollups and whites.


• Make pink balls and squares, let them get firm, and dip into melted white fondant, which gives a pretty effect.


• Chop raisins, add spices, and mix in white fondant; place between layers of white or colored fondant or cream.


• Remove seed from dates and raisins and fill with white and colored cream, roll in granulated sugar.


• Strips of coconuts may be placed on top or worked into cream also.


• Rose water, pineapple, banana, and orange are nice flavorings, and wintergreen is liked by some.

How To Make Fondant

Two cups white sugar, 1 cup water, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar. Mix all ingredients together and place over heat, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Be very careful not to let any of the mixture get up on the sides of the saucepan, as they will form crystals, which, if dropped into the syrup, will spoil the texture of the fondant. Cook slowly until the syrup will form a soft ball in water.

Have a large platter, well buttered, ready and pour the fondant on it very slowly. Never pour fondant faster than it can spread itself. Let it stand without disturbing until partly cool and a slight wrinkle forms around the edge. Then begin working with a spatula, lifting the fondant each time from the edge and turning toward center. Continue working until it is white when the hands may be used to knead it.

Place in a bowl covered with oiled paper and leave for several hours. It may be left for several days, if you wish, before making into individual candies, such as:

Cinnamon Nut Logs

To a portion of the fondant add a few drops of oil of cinnamon and a few drops of pink coloring. Knead until thoroughly blended. Form into small logs and roll in chopped nuts.

Vanilla Walnut Creams

To a portion of the fondant add vanilla flavoring; knead well. Shape into small balls and place a half of a walnut on the top of each.

Coconut Balls

Drain well some canned cherries. Make small balls of fondant, placing in the center of each a cherry. Roll in shredded coconut.

Chocolate Creams

Melt dipping chocolate (or plain chocolate bars are much cheaper), and dip the balls of fondant. Lift out with a fork onto waxed paper, making a tiny twirl on the top of each candy.

Pinwheels

Take a portion of the chocolate and knead until well blended. Press out into a rectangular shape, quite thin. To an equal amount of fondant, add a few drops of oil of peppermint and knead. Press out into same shape as chocolate, then place on top of it. Roll up like a jelly roll and chill for several hours. Cut into thin slices.

Fondant Stuffed Dates

Remove stones carefully and stuff with fondant.