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

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Mark.S Harris wrote:
> Olwen answered Margaret with:
>
>>>Olwen, do you use fondant in your marzipan, and if so, what proportions?
>>>
>>>Margaret, who is missing the annual marzipan-making weekend with Grandpa
>>>rather acutely this year
>>>
>>No.  I don't use fondant.
>>
>
> Huh, What's "fondant"?

Fondant is a very specific, shiny-but-opaque sugar syrup preparation
used to make various types of cake and petit four icing, as well as most
of the "creamy" filling inside chocolates. It's interesting stuff;
usually it is made from granulated sugar syrup (with a little glucose or
other invert sugar producer such as an acid like lemon juice, so it
won't form hard crystals) cooked to approximately the soft ball stage,
or just under, then kneaded until white and pliable. It can then be
carefully re-warmed until nearly a liquid again, then you can dip your
industrial cupcakes or black-and-white cookies in it for that
not-very-tasty professional look ;  ).

There's a cheater's version made with confectioner's sugar, that you can
roll out in sheets. It is almost invariably less shiny than real fondant.

Adamantius
--
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com

"It was so blatant that Roger threw at him.  Clemens gets away with
things that get other people thrown out of games.  As long as they
let him get away with it, it's going  to continue." -- Joe Torre, 9/98