[Sca-cooks] Playing with Marzipan....

[Pixel, Goddess and Queen]

On Mon, 24 Sep 2001, Nelson Beth wrote:

> I started looking for a recipe to give you but found
> this instead.  It's a pretty good description.
>
> Orlaith
>
> http://www.pastrywiz.com/season/fondant.htm  says
>
> Fondant is a sugar syrup that is crystallized to a
> smooth, creamy white mass and is used for both icing
> cakes and cake decorations. The cooked Fondant
> (European Fondant) is quite difficult to make but is
> the best Fondant recipe around due to its elasticity
> and smoothness.
> European Fondant is made by boiling sugar, water and
> glucose to 240°F. It is then poured onto a marble slap
> and sprinkle with some water to prevent
> crystallization. Once the syrup has cooled down to
> 110°F, start to work the sugar with a steel scraper,
> folding it onto itself. Do not attempt to work it
> before it cooled to 110°F or it will become tough and
> coarse. After a while it will start turning white.
> Work the fondant until it is smooth and creamy. It may
> take well over 40 minutes to achieve the right
> consistency. Once smooth and creamy store in an
> airtight container for later use. European Fondant
> should NOT be attempted by inexperienced pastry chefs
> without the appropriate supervision, as you may burn
> yourself badly.
>
> European Fondant is not rolled fondant.  Fondant
> originates from "fondre" - to melt and is a soft
> creamy preparation of sugar, water, and flavoring.
> Rolled Fondant is a Canadian term for Sugarpaste,
> which is a different product. Read about Sugarpaste.
>
> Uncooked Fondant is made by simply mixing all
> ingredients together.
>

Note that a Kitchen-Aid substitutes nicely for the scraper and marble
slab, for those of us who don't have room to store large slabs of marble
nor places to put them when they are in use.

I find the assurances that this is difficult amusing, since Grandpa taught
me the fondant-making process when I was twelve. Ok, so I'm a mutant.

Margaret