Directions: |
Directions:Combine sugar, hot water, salt, heavy cream, and corn syrup in 3-qt. heavy saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Cover and cook 3 minutes, then remove cover and continue cooking without stirring to the soft ball stage (240 degrees). If sugar crystals form on sides of pan wipe them off.
Without scraping saucepan, immediately pour fondant onto moist, cold marble slab, baking sheet or platter. Add butter, but do not stir. Let cool until center of fondant mass is luke-warm. If you use a baking sheet, move its position on counter top occasionally to hasten cooling.
When lukewarm, beat with broad spatula, wooden paddle or putty knife until fondant is white and creamy, using a sweeping motion forward from under edge to center, turning fondant occasionally. Then knead with hands until smooth. Add vanilla and knead until blended into fondant. Wrap in waxed paper and store in tightly covered container in refrigerator. (You can divide fondant and store it in glass fruit jars with tight lids.) Let ripen in refrigerator at least 24 hours, but it keeps several weeks. If it gets too dry, cover with a damp cloth.
When ready to dip fondant in chocolate, divide it in fourths and flatten each portion. To each add small amounts of food color to tint, and shape each in a roll 1” in diameter.
Cut ½” slices from rolls and shape in oblongs, balls, squares, or as desired. If fondant sticks to hands, dust them lightly with confectioners’ sugar. Place individual pieces on wire racks covered with waxed paper or waxed paper spread on any surface. Let stand in cool room (60 to 65 degrees is ideal) for 4 or 5 hours before dipping. Or cover with waxed paper and let stand overnight. Do not refrigerate centers. Dip them when let stand overnight. Do not refrigerate centers. Dip them when they are the temperature of the cool room in which you will do the dipping. Makes 54 to 60 centers, or about 2 lbs.
Variations:
Make Basic Cream Fondant, omitting vanilla. Divide in 4 equal when creaming candy or when shaping fondant for dipping. Flavor and tint each portion differently to make following kinds:
Orange Coconut Fondant:
Add ½ tsp. fresh orange juice, ¼ c. cookie coconut, ¼ tsp. grated orange peel and 2 drops red and 6 drops yellow food color
Lemon Almond Fondant:
Add ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice, ¼ tsp. lemon grated lemon peel, 3 tbsp. finely chopped almonds and 8 drops yellow food color.
Vanilla Fondant:
This is the same as the Basic Cream Fondant but you add only ¼ tsp. vanilla instead of 1 tsp. for the full recipe, and add 3 drops almond extract. |
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