Chocolate Fondant

Chocolate and Confectionery Store © 1922 Tea and Coffee Trade Journal

The great art of making these exquisite candies is in boiling the sugar, and it is an art easily acquired with patience. When you have your sugar boiled just right set it to cool, and when you can bear your finger in it, begin to beat it with a spoon; in ten minutes it will be a white paste resembling lard, which you will find you can work like bread dough. This, then, is your foundation, called by French confectioners fondant; with your fondant, you can work marvels.

The making of a FONDANT, which is the base for the recipes in this chapter:

• 4 cups of granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 cups of cold water
• 1/4 a teaspoon of cream of tartar, or 3 drops of acetic acid

• Stir the sugar and water in a saucepan, set on the back part of the range, until the sugar is melted
• Then draw the saucepan to a hotter part of the range, and stir until the boiling point is reached
• Add the cream of tartar or acid and, with the hand or a cloth wet repeatedly in cold water, wash down the sides of the saucepan, to remove any grains of sugar that have been thrown there
• Cover the saucepan and let boil rapidly three or four minutes
• Remove the cover, set in the thermometer--if one is to be used--and let cook very rapidly to 240 deg. F., or the soft ball degree
• Wet the hand in cold water and with it dampen a marble slab or a large platter, then without jarring the syrup turn it onto the marble or platter
• Do not scrape out the saucepan or allow the last of the syrup to drip from it, as sugary portions will spoil the fondant by making it grainy
• When the syrup is cold, with a metal scraper or a wooden spatula, turn the edges of the mass towards the center, and continue turning the edges in until the mass begins to thicken and grow white
• Then work it up into a ball, scraping all the sugar from the marble onto the mass
• Knead slightly, then cover closely with a heavy piece of cotton cloth wrung out of cold water
• Let the sugar stand for an hour or longer to ripen, then remove the damp cloth and cut the mass into pieces
• Press these closely into a kitchen bowl, cover with a cloth wrung out of water (this cloth must not touch the fondant) and then with heavy paper
• The fondant may be used the next day, but is in better condition after several days and may be kept almost indefinitely, if the cloth covering it be wrung out of cold water and replaced once in five or six days
• Fondant may be used, white or delicately colored with vegetable color-pastes or with chocolate, as frosting for small cakes, or eclairs or for making candy "centers," to be coated with chocolate or with some of the same fondant tinted and flavored appropriately.

FONDANT FOR SOFT CHOCOLATE CREAMS

• 2-1/2 cups of sugar
• 1/3 cup of glucose (pure corn syrup)
• 1 cup of water.
• Put the sugar, glucose, and water over the fire and stir until boiling
• Then wash down the sides of the saucepan, cover and finish cooking as in making ordinary fondant. Let cook to 238 deg. F.
• Turn the syrup onto a damp marble or platter, and before it becomes cold turn to a cream with a wooden spatula
• When the fondant begins to stiffen, scrape at once into a bowl and cover with a damp cloth, but do not let the cloth touch the fondant

ALMOND FONDANT BALLS

• Roll part of the almond fondant into small balls
• Some of the "Dot" Chocolate will be left after dipping the almond chocolate sticks
• Remelt this over hot water, and in it coat the balls lightly
• As each ball is coated with the chocolate drop it onto a plate of chopped pistachio nut meats or of chopped coconut (fresh or desiccated)
• With a spoon sprinkle the chopped material over the balls.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BARS

• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup of glucose
• 1/2 cup of water
• (1/4 ounce of paraffine at discretion)
• 1/2 cup of blanched almonds, chopped fine
• 1/3 the recipe for fondant
• 3 or 4 oz. of Baker's Chocolate
• 1 teaspoonful of vanilla

• Melt the sugar in the water and glucose and let boil to about 252 deg. F., or between a soft and a hard ball
• Without the paraffine cook a little higher than with it
• Add the almonds and the vanilla, mix thoroughly and turn onto a marble or platter over which powdered sugar has been sifted
• Turn out the candy in such a way that it will take a rectangular shape on the marble
• When cool enough score it in strips about an inch and a quarter wide, and, as it grows cooler, lift the strips, one by one, to a board and cut them in pieces half or three-quarters of an inch wide
• When cold, drop them, sugar side down, in chocolate fondant prepared for "dipping."
• With the fork push them below the fondant, lift out, drain as much as possible and set onto oilcloth. These improve upon keeping.

ALMOND FONDANT STICKS

• 2 1/2 cups of coffee A or granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of glucose
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/4 pound of almond paste
• 1/4 pound of Baker's Premium Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 pound of Baker's "Dot" Chocolate

• Put the sugar, glucose, and water over the fire
• Stir until the sugar is dissolved
• Wash down the sides of the kettle as in making fondant
• Let boil to the soft ball degree or to 238 deg. F.
• Add the almond paste, cut into small, thin pieces, let boil up vigorously, then turn onto a damp marble
• When nearly cold turn to a cream with a wooden spatula
• It will take considerable time to turn this mixture to fondant
• Cover and let stand half an hour
• Add the Baker's Premium Chocolate, melted over hot water, and knead it in thoroughly. Add at the same time the vanilla
• The chocolate must be added warm
• At once cut off a portion of the fondant and knead it into a round ball; then roll it lightly under the fingers into a long strip the shape and size of a lead pencil; form as many of these strips as desired
• Cut the strips into two-inch lengths and let stand to become firm
• Have ready the "Dot" Chocolate melted over hot water and, in this coat, the prepared sticks leaving the surface a little rough

CHERRY CHOCOLATE CREAMS

CENTERS

• 1/4 a cup of candied cherries, chopped fine
• 1/2 a cup of fondant

CHOCOLATE COATING

• About one cup of fondant
• 2 squares of Baker's Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Bits of cherry
• Prepare the centers and coat in the same manner as the almond creams.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE CREAMS

CENTERS

• 1/4 a cup of blanched almonds, chopped fine
• 1/2 a cup of fondant
• 1/4 a teaspoonful of vanilla
• Confectioner's sugar for kneading and shaping

CHOCOLATE COATING

• About 1 cup of fondant
• 2 squares of Baker's Chocolate
• 1 teaspoonful of vanilla extract
• Few drops of water, as needed
• Halves of blanched almonds

• Mix the chopped almonds with the fondant and vanilla; add confectioner's sugar, a little at a time, and knead the mass thoroughly, on a marble or large platter; shape into a long roll, then cut into small pieces of the same size
• Shape these into balls a generous half inch in diameter and leave them about an hour to harden on the outside
• Put the fondant for the coating and the chocolate (shaved or broken in pieces) in a double boiler (with hot water in the lower receptacle)
• Add the vanilla and the water and heat until melted
• Take out the spoon and put in a dipping fork (a wire fork costing about ten cents) beat the fondant, to keep it from crusting and drop in a "center;" with the fork cover it with fondant; put the fork under it and lift it out, scrape the fork lightly on the edge of the dish, to remove excessive candy, turn the fork over and drop the bonbon onto waxed paper
• Make a design with the fork in taking it from the candy
• At once press half of a blanched almond on the top of the candy or the design made with the fork will suffice
• If at any time the coating is too thick, add a few drops of water
• If any is leftover use it to coat whole nuts or cherries

FIG-AND-NUT CHOCOLATES

• 5 figs
• 3 or 4 tablespoonfuls of water or sherry wine
• 1/2 a cup of English walnut meats
• Powdered sugar
• Fondant,
• 3 or 4 ounces of Baker's Chocolate
• 1 teaspoonful of vanilla

• Remove the stem and hard place around the blossom end of the figs, and let steam, with the water or wine, in a double boiler until softened, then add the nuts and chop very fine
• Add powdered sugar as is needed to shape the mixture into balls
• Melt the chocolate, using enough to secure the shade of brown desired in the coating and add to the fondant with the vanilla
• Coat the fig-and-nut balls and drop them with the fork onto a piece of oilcloth or waxed paper in the same manner as the cherry bonbons
• These may be dipped in "Dot" Chocolate instead of fondant

MAPLE FONDANT ACORNS

• 2 cups of maple syrup
• 1 3/4 cups of granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup of cold water
• Confectioner's sugar
• 2 or more squares of Baker's Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• About 1/4 cup of fine-chopped almonds, browned in the oven

• Make fondant of the syrup, granulated sugar, and cold water, following the directions given for fondant made of granulated sugar (cream of tartar or other acid is not required in maple fondant)
• Work some of the fondants, adding confectioner's sugar as needed, into cone shapes; let these stand an hour or longer to harden upon the outside
• Put a little of the fondant in a dish over hot water; add Baker's Chocolate and vanilla as desired and beat till the chocolate is evenly mixed through the fondant, then dip the cones in the chocolate and set them on a piece of oilcloth or waxed paper
• When all are dipped, lift the first one dipped from the paper and dip the base again in the chocolate, and then in the chopped-and-browned almonds
• Continue until all have been dipped.

CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOWS

• Cut the marshmallows in halves, and put them, one by one, cut side down, in chocolate fondant (as prepared for almond and cherry chocolate creams), melted over hot water and flavored to taste with vanilla
• Beat the chocolate with the fork, that it may not crust over, lift out the marshmallow, turn it and, in removing the fork, leave its imprint in the chocolate; sprinkle at once with a little fine-chopped pistachio nut meat
• To prepare the nuts, set them over the fire in tepid water to cover, heat to the boiling point, drain, cover with cold water, then take them up, one by one, and with the thumb and finger push the meat from the skin

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINTS

• Melt a little fondant and flavor it to taste with the essence of peppermint
• Leave the mixture white or tint very delicately with green or pink color-paste
• With a teaspoon drop the mixture onto waxed paper to make rounds of the same size--about one inch and a quarter in diameter—let these stand in a cool place about one hour
• Put about a cup of fondant in a double boiler, add two ounces of chocolate and a teaspoonful of boiling water, then stir (over hot water) until the fondant and chocolate are melted and evenly mixed together
• Then drop the peppermints, one by one, into the chocolate mixture, and remove them with the fork to a piece of oilcloth
• Let stand until the chocolate is set, when they are ready to use.

PISTACHIO CHOCOLATE CREAMS

• Fondant
• Green color-paste
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/8 a teaspoon of almond extract
• Pistachio nuts in slices and halves
• 1/2 a pound of Baker's "Dot" Chocolate
• Using green color-paste, vanilla and almond extract mold the fondant in long shapes
• Put a bit of nut in each impression, before filling it with fondant
• When firm coat with "Dot" Chocolate and set half a pistachio nut on top

ROSE CHOCOLATE CREAMS

• Fondant
• Damask rose color-paste
• 1/2 to 1 whole teaspoonful of rose extract
• 1/2 pound of Baker's "Dot" Chocolate
• Put a part or the whole of the fondant into a double boiler over boiling water
• With the point of a toothpick take up a little of the color-paste and add to the fondant; add the extract and stir until the mixture is hot, thin and evenly tinted
• With two teaspoons drop the mixture into impressions made in starch; it should be hot and thin enough to run level on top
• When the shapes are cold, remove from the starch, brush carefully and coat with "Dot" Chocolate

SURPRISE CHOCOLATE CREAMS

• Fondant
• Candied or Maraschino cherries
• Flavoring of almond or vanilla
• Chopped peanuts
• 1/2 pound of Baker's "Dot" Chocolate

• Melt the fondant over hot water and add the flavoring
• Put a bit of cherry in the bottom of each starch impression, then turn in the melted fondant, to fill the impressions and have them level on the top
• Let the chocolate, broken in bits, be melted over warm water, then add as many chopped peanuts as can be well stirred into it
• Let cool to about 80 deg. F. and in it drop the creams, one at a time; as coated dispose them on table oil cloth or waxed paper

WALNUT CREAM-CHOCOLATES

• 2-1/2 cups of granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup of condensed milk
• 1/2 cup of water
• 3 or 4 tablespoons of thick caramel syrup
• A little water
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 pound of Baker's "Dot" Chocolate

• Put the sugar, condensed milk and water over the fire to boil, stir gently but often, and let cook to the soft ball stage, or to 238 deg.F.
• Pour on a damp marble and let stand undisturbed until cold; turn to a cream, then gather into a compact mass; cover with a bowl and let stand for thirty minutes; then knead the cream
• Put it into a double boiler; add the caramel syrup and the vanilla; stir constantly while the mixture becomes warm and thin
• Add a tablespoonful or two of water, if necessary, and drop the cream mixture into impressions made in cornstarch
• Use two teaspoons to drop the cream
• When the candy is cold, pick it from the starch. With a small brush remove the starch that sticks to the candy shapes
• Coat each piece with "Dot" Chocolate
• As each piece is coated and dropped onto the oilcloth, set half an English walnut meat upon the top