How to Make Fondant

Fondant is that sweet, shiny glaze which appears on many pastries and baked goods. Its creamy texture melts in your mouth and it also helps to keep baked goods moist. It's fairly easy to make and will store indefinitely at room temperature in a sealed container. You can also pour a thin layer of water on the surface to prevent it from drying out and forming a crust.

To make approximately 1.5 cups of fondant, you will need the following ingredients:

500 grams granulated sugar
250 ml water
50 grams glucose

To begin, use a very clean pot and bring the water and sugar to a boil until it reaches 113º C (235º F). Skim off any foam/impurities that may rise to the surface. This should take at least 10-15 minutes. Once the sugar reaches that temperature, add the glucose and continue to boil until the temperature reaches118º C (244º F). Immediately take the pot off of the heat and place into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Carefully pour the hot syrup onto a marble or granite counter top. Using a bench scraper, move the sugar around to bring down the temperature. 

As you continue to agitate it, it will go from a clear syrup to a milky-white consistency.

As you work the sugar, it will eventually become crumbly.

When you have reached this stage, begin to knead the sugar, as you would dough, until it is nice and smooth. You don't have to knead it this far, but you can see that it becomes soft again.

Once you're done, transfer the mixture to a container. The fondant can be stored indefinitely and can be used a bit at a time.

To use fondant:

To use the fondant, you'll need to warm it slightly. Place the amount you're going to use into a bain marie over low heat. Bring the temperature up until it's just above body temperature. Whisk in 1-2 teaspoons of egg white and a few drops of lemon juice.

For flavoring, I added a bit of lemon zest to match the flavors for my baked goods, but you can use any flavoring or extract, and even add food coloring. It's also nice to keep it plain.

Tagged as: [ fondant howto icing pastry recipes sugar ]

Making Doughnuts and Fondant

I also made a batch of fondant (the white glaze that tops many pastries). Fondant is very exciting to make and quite simple (although we are told that almost everyone who uses it, buys it commercially). It is basically sugar and water that is boiled to reach a temperature of 113°C. At that point, glucose is added (similar to corn syrup) and boiled to reach 118°C. Initially, this bubbling and sticky mixture gets poured onto a marble slab.

It must be agitated with a metal spatula to cool it.

As you continue to move it around, it becomes milky and then it starts to crystallize.

Soon you have a mass that is similar to play dough. At that point, fondant can be stored indefinitely. When you need some, you simply temper it by reheating it in a pot with a little bit of egg white and lemon juice. It can then be drizzled on to baked or fried goodies. We made chocolate fondant by adding melted chocolate into the fondant.

Tagged as: [ doughnuts fondant pastry sugar ]