The Comprehensive Home-Made Fondant Discussion: Making, Using, Storing

[renam]

I have a question. I made Peter Grewlings fondant over the holidays and it's a really good reciepe. I had not problem making it. I did separate it to make different flavors. I used the mint extract for one flavor and the powdered raspberry from Sweet celebration for the other flavor. Once I put them in the mold and tasted one it was good. Good flavor for both batche's. But as time went on it seemed to lose the potency of the flavor. Is there something I missed or did wrong? I added the flavor after it 'ripened' overnight. Then I re-heated it and added the flavors.

Thanks in advance

Rena

[Kerry Beal]

I have a question.  I made Peter Grewlings fondant over the holidays and it's a really good reciepe.  I had not problem making it.  I did separate it to make different flavors.  I used the mint extract for one flavor and the powdered raspberry from Sweet celebration for the other flavor.  Once I put them in the mold and tasted one it was good.  Good flavor for both batche's.  But as time went on it seemed to lose the potency of the flavor.  Is there something I missed or did wrong?  I added the flavor after it 'ripened' overnight. Then I re-heated it and added the flavors.

Thanks in advance

Rena

←

I've noticed the same thing. Creams tend to lose flavour over time. Probably best to over flavour when you make them so they will retain potency for a longer time. I find mint oil last longer than extract.

[renam]

Thanks Kerry,

I acutually added frest mint leaves the first time I made fondant but I had to put it thru a strainer because the chopped leaves were to big and I was worried that it would spoil. So I strained it (very labor intensive) and I was left with little speckles of green which was perfect. I'm not sure if I want to go thru that again with the straining. You mentioned Mint Oil where did you order it from?

Thanks,

Rena

[Kerry Beal]

Thanks Kerry,

I acutually added frest mint leaves the first time I made fondant but I had to put it thru a strainer because the chopped leaves were to big and I was worried that it would spoil.  So I strained it (very labor intensive) and I was left with little speckles of green which was perfect.  I'm not sure if I want to go thru that again with the straining.  You mentioned Mint Oil where did you order it from?

Thanks,

Rena

←

I buy my mint oil from Xenex labs. It's quite often available in pharmacies and bulk stores I think. If you are in the US look up Anatolian Treasures on Google. They carry it as well as a lot of other fabulous oils. They are wonderful to deal with and they send you sample of other oils when you put in an order, which gives you a chance to try all sorts of things risk free. I highly recommend the black pepper oil A few drops of that with some oil of bergemot makes a wonderful combination.

[Nimbok]

I've been having trouble getting my confectionery fondant to properly crystallize. I'm using the Greweling recipe (by weight: 1 part water, 1 part glucose syrup, 5 parts sugar; cook to ~240F, agitate when it cools to 120F).

When I begin agitating it on my marble slab with my scraper, it quickly becomes very sticky and viscous - nearly impossible to work with. After about 15 minutes, it becomes opaque white, but it remains a sticky, very viscous mass, much like saltwater taffy but denser. Even when I continue to agitate it for an additional 20 minutes, it never seems to reach the short, crumbly texture that it's supposed to. Even leaving it to ripen overnight in an airtight container overnight makes no difference. I've tried 4 or 5 times now, and the same thing happens each time.

As an experiment, I left some exposed overnight and, by the next morning, it was the proper texture: it would hold together, but it wasn't sticky at all, and it was slightly crumbly around the edges when molded.

The pictures of the agitation process in Greweling's book seem to show a much thinner syrup that looks easier to work with. The last picture shows a short-textured white mass that looks like a white frosting. I've done some research online, but I haven't found any helpful information.

Edited April 18, 2010 by Nimbok (log)

[gap]

This is a handy link as well for fondant

http://www.eddyvandammeusa.com/2010/02/fondant/

I haven't tried the Greweling recipe. When I have made fondant in the past, the agitation process has taken a good 20+ minutes of hard agitation - you really do work your arms. The link above uses a high powered food processor to do the agitation (if you have one). I have also done the agitation step in a kitchen aid with the paddle attachment (after a little working manually first).

[Nimbok]

I can barely scrape the syrup from the marble slab. There is absolutely no way my food processor could handle it. I just can't figure out why mine seems to be so much thicker - I'm positive that I'm only cooking it to 240F and using the correct ratio of ingredients.

[gap]

Have you checked the thermometer recently?? That's all I could think of. Or, if you're quartering a batch, it might be cooling too quickly on the marble.

[chiantiglace]

have you ever made fondant before?

[gap]

have you ever made fondant before?

Me?? Yep, many times before. That said I'm in the middle of moving house and don't have any of my recipe books at the moment.

Edited April 20, 2010 by gap (log)

[Nimbok]

Have you checked the thermometer recently?? That's all I could think of. Or, if you're quartering a batch, it might be cooling too quickly on the marble.

I use the thermometer all the time for tempering chocolate, so I'm sure it's still accurate. The smaller batch size may be the issue. I am making about 1/3 the recipe in the book - I'm using 300g sugar, 60g water/glucose. The recipe in the book is for a batch using 1kg sugar.

I have not made fondant before, but I am comparing mine to photos in Greweling's book and on websites (http://sum.ptuo.us/roller/ks/entry/how_to_make_fondant), and it's clear that mine is far too viscous. If I pulled the scraper back in the manner shown in those photos, it would barely scratch the surface of the fondant. Also, it would be impossible for me to use the scraper in those photos as I couldn't get enough leverage without a handle.

Edited April 20, 2010 by Nimbok (log)

[chiantiglace]

Even chef Greweling hates making fondant, I think he dreads it actually. Making fondant takes an immense amount of force, you really have to work the sugar to hell and back. I doubt you are having abnormal difficulties, not many (and when I mean not many I mean I still have yet to meet a single person) people make their own fondant. The stuff you can buy in the pails is very well made fondant. I recommend skipping the task, its too intense.

-And I have made my own fondant a few times before (very small batches)

-And I have been with Peter Greweling while he made fondant.

-And no gap, I wasn't asking you that question.

Also, in case you just want to do so you know you can, do a smaller batch and work with it fast. Your room may be too cold?

[Nimbok]

PROBLEM SOLVED!

P235 of the book (Greweling) says to combine the sugar, glucose syrup, and water in the saucepan at the start. This is what I had been doing. However, on p221, it says to add the glucose syrup only once the sugar and water reach a boil. I tried doing this instead, and the syrup was much, much thinner and easier to work with. Before, it was impossible to agitate - almost the consistency of hard candy during pulling, yet even stickier.

In short, don't add the glucose syrup until the sugar/water mixture reaches a boil!

Edited April 24, 2010 by Nimbok (log)

[tiramisu]

hi would anyone have a fool proof recipe for making fondant at home.Where I live its not readily available unless one orders from a bakery and they arent very keen to provide it. Also I live in a very hot /humid country. would that effect the end result in home made fondant?

[prairiegirl]

Wilton Cream of Tartar Fondant

2 cups (480mL) hot water, 6 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar.

Combine water and sugar in heavy 4 quart saucepan. Place pan on high heat and add cream of tartar. when mixture boils, wash down sides. Clip on thermometer, wash sides down 2 more times. Do not stir. When temp reaches 240 F (116 C)remove pan from heat and pour on cookie sheet or prepared slab so you can cool down the mixture. Entire cookingtime should be about 10 minutes or less.

When mixture cool then work the fondant with a metal scraper. The recipe says it should become stiff in about 5 minutes. Then you can knead the fondant until soft and creamy.

What I do after the fondant cools slightly, I put it in my bosch mix master with a dough hook and let the machine knead the dough. I keep the lid off to let any heat escape. Using the machine is much easier than hand kneading and table slabbing.

Store air tight or put in the refrigerator. But keep it airtight!

Eddy Van Damme has an excellent website and he has a fondant recipe posted with pictures to walk a person thru the process.

http://www.chefeddy.com/2010/02/fondant/

Chef Eddy lives in Houston which is hot and humid so I don't think it will be too much of an issue for you.

Edited August 6, 2010 by prairiegirl (log)

[stuartlikesstrudel]

Do you mean the liquid glaze kind (like you might find on top of a bun or mille feuille, or the firm sculpting kind used in cake decorating?

Prariegirl's link to the Chef Eddy site is very good if you want the poured kind. If you are interested in a rolled fondant, you could try googling Marshmallow Fondant. It is the only type I have tried to make and it worked well... and as a bonus, it tastes like marshmallows, which is a step up from a lot of the unpleasant fondants I have tasted in the past which I immediately peel off.

[JeanneCake]

If you are looking for rolled fondant, The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum has recipes for both plain and chocolate rolled fondant (she also has a recipe for poured fondant in there too); Kerry Vincent's wedding cake book also has a recipe in it

[dougal]

...

What I do after the fondant cools slightly, I put it in my bosch mix master with a dough hook and let the machine knead the dough. I keep the lid off to let any heat escape. Using the machine is much easier than hand kneading and table slabbing.

Store air tight or put in the refrigerator. But keep it airtight!

Eddy Van Damme has an excellent website and he has a fondant recipe posted with pictures to walk a person thru the process.

http://www.chefeddy.com/2010/02/fondant/

Chef Eddy lives in Houston which is hot and humid so I don't think it will be too much of an issue for you.

And I'm impressed with the Eddy Van Damme suggestion of using a food processor!

It certainly is possible to use a marble slab to pour the syrup on and then to crystallize it, but a food processor makes this super easy.

And yes, he is using Cream of Tarter to partially invert the sugar and thus make a 'soft' (not for rolling) fondant. (Where the humidity question might be less relevant, I believe.)

[Tri2Cook]

And I'm impressed with the Eddy Van Damme suggestion of using a food processor!

I was too... until I did it. They must have better processors than I do 'cause that was a mess. The processor motor was struggling and I lost quite a bit because I got tired of trying to scrape it off of everything.

[Kerry Beal]

I've used the kitchen-aid to beat it with good success - but these days I just buy it in 30 lb pails.

Remember you can make it once - then the next time just make a bob syrup and add some of your previous batch to seed - no beating required.

[dougal]

And I'm impressed with the Eddy Van Damme suggestion of using a food processor!

I was too... until I did it. They must have better processors than I do 'cause that was a mess. The processor motor was struggling and I lost quite a bit because I got tired of trying to scrape it off of everything.

Thanks for that warning!

I was thinking that the dough blade (short arms to limit torque) might be the thing to try for a first attempt!

I've used the kitchen-aid to beat it with good success - but these days I just buy it in 30 lb pails.

Remember you can make it once - then the next time just make a bob syrup and add some of your previous batch to seed - no beating required.

Sorry Kerry, English-English speaking n00b here! What would a "bob syrup" be, please?

I'm wondering if that would be a good approach to making multiple small quantities of differently flavoured fondant? {Thinking here of different flavours in the syrup portions, then seed with plain ... ?)

And are there any tricks I ought to know about handling/controlling the sticky mess of soft fondant? (Please feel free to provide links rather than detailed explanations!) For 'cream-centred' moulded chocolates, I was envisaging a disposable piping bag (and maybe oiled scissors?)

Edited August 7, 2010 by dougal (log)

[Kerry Beal]

A bob syrup is where you take the syrup to the same temperature that you would when making fondant - and instead of beating it when it cools - you add 'old' fondant to it. The crystals in the 'old' fondant seed the syrup in the right way and allow the kind of small fine crystals that you want to be produced to form.

A good book for the theory of fondant and bob syrups in particular is "Making Chocolates" by Alec Leaver. It's an oldy but goody. Ignore the way he makes invertase and just buy some.

[hac]

i just honestly use mm fondant for my quick fondant needs. im from philippines and yes it can get quite hot here. super easy you can finish in less than 15mins. take 16oz mini marshmallows, 8cups of 10x, 3-4tbsp h20 and 1/2c more 10x for dusting. youll need a large microwavable container, a kitchen aid with dough hook attachment and a good stable table and some wooden spoons and rubber scraper. place the mm in the container without cover, pour the 3tbsp h2o around it, you dont have to stir it at all just drizzle it over. pop it in the microwave and on high settings, heat it for 1min 3x, stirring around for every minute. it should one big gooey blob after, sometimes i like to heat it again for 30secs or so if im not confident everything is melted right. brush some shortening to the bottom and sides of the KA bwol, place half of the 10x in it (btw i use the large KA, if you have the smaller one, cut the recipe to 3/4), pour the melted marshmallow and mix at speed 1 until everything comes toghether (i normally cover my mixer with cling wrap so the 10x wont explode everywhere). when you see it all mixed up nicely, turn to speed 2 and let it have a go at it for about 3mins. then lower to speed 1 and spoon the remaining 10x, looking and touching and feeling it as you go til you finish the 10x. NOTE: you dont always have to finish the 10x, thats why you poke at it, if its getting too hard or dry stop or drizzle some h20 on it again, use drops), let it mix for awhile but not too much as your mixer will be working very hard by this time. turn it off, scrape everything on a 10x dusted surface and start kneading by hand for a minute or 2. with some practice you should be able to gauge who you want your fondant to be at all times. if im wrapping a cake with it i normally have it a bit softer than the usual to avoid cracks but if its for figures, i knead and add a bit more 10x and soem tylose (be careful with the tylose, you dont want to end up with a fondant brick). hope that helps in some way.

Edited August 9, 2010 by hac (log)

[hac]

oh and i forgot, sift the 10x 3 times before you make the fondant.

[dougal]

...

A good book for the theory of fondant and bob syrups in particular is "Making Chocolates" by Alec Leaver. It's an oldy but goody. Ignore the way he makes invertase and just buy some.

On the basis of your recommendation, I have just laid out almost $7 (US) including transatlantic postage.

I trust it'll be worthwhile!