Glace au Fondant

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2-quart (2-litre) heavy stainless-steel saucepan
• •Clip-on digital candy thermometer
• •13-by-18-inch (33-by-46-cm) heavy uncoated metal baking sheet, used inverted, or a dedicated marble pastry slab
• •Rigid stainless-steel bench scraper
• •Metal offset spatula
• •Small pastry brush
• •Airtight 1-quart (1-litre) container

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the working surface

   Set a dedicated marble pastry slab or an inverted, heavy uncoated metal baking sheet on a level, heatproof surface. Rub it evenly with the neutral oil, leaving a continuous film without puddles. Arrange the thermometer, bench scraper, offset spatula, and storage container within reach. Do not pour boiling syrup directly onto a stone countertop, which may crack under thermal shock. The syrup will not wait while you search for a tool.

   A rigid metal scraper works better than silicone here. It must lift the cooling sugar cleanly and keep every edge moving.
2. 2

   Cook precisely to 230°F

   Put the sugar, water, and glucose into the saucepan. Stir only until every crystal is moistened, then set the pan over medium heat and follow The Cooking of Sugar (No. 2344). Once the syrup boils, stop stirring; wash any crystals from the sides with a barely damp pastry brush. Cook to precisely 230°F (110°C) at sea level, or 18°F (10°C) above your thermometer's reading for boiling water, then remove the pan immediately. Never test hot syrup with your fingers.

   If the syrup turns cloudy or crystallizes before reaching temperature, stop. Ça se rattrape: remove the pan from the heat, let the bubbling subside, add 2 tablespoons of the warm water, and dissolve every grain over low heat before cooking again. If it overshoots 230°F, let it cool fully, add enough water to dissolve it, and recook rather than accepting a hard fondant.
3. 3

   Pour and half-cool

   Carry the pan directly to the prepared surface and pour the syrup onto it at one tilt. Do not scrape the saucepan, since crystals clinging to its sides can seed coarse lumps. Leave the syrup undisturbed for 3 to 5 minutes, a little longer on thick metal, until its edges begin to thicken but the whole mass still yields beneath the scraper. It remains dangerously hot, so judge it with the tool, never your hand.

4. 4

   Work every patch

   Use the scraper and offset spatula to move the syrup in every direction. Draw the outer edges into the centre, spread the mass outward, fold it over itself, and turn it continuously so no film remains untouched on the surface. After 10 to 15 minutes it will cloud, whiten, and tighten into a slightly granular paste. This change can look alarming. It is exactly right.

   If a neglected edge hardens into glassy pieces, remove every piece before continuing. If hard fragments are already mixed throughout, remelt the entire batch gently with 2 tablespoons of warm water, return it to 230°F, and begin again. Large crystals will not disappear through kneading.
5. 5

   Knead until smooth

   When the paste is barely warm and safe to touch, gather it into a compact mass and finish it through The Kneading of Pastes (No. 2357). Press it away from you with the heel of the palm, gather it back, and work through the whole mass twice until it becomes smooth, supple, and finely textured, with no sandy patches. If it cracks from dryness, moisten your palm and continue a few drops at a time. If it feels sticky, keep kneading; adding powdered sugar would introduce the coarse texture you have worked to remove.

6. 6

   Store the fondant

   Heap the finished fondant into a clean airtight container. Press a piece of barely dampened food-grade parchment or a clean, barely damp cloth directly against its surface, then close the lid and keep the container in a cool, dry cupboard. This gives the original damp covering without exposing the sugar to household dust. The fondant is ready now, though an overnight rest makes its moisture especially even.

7. 7

   Soften and flavour

   Put only the fondant needed for glazing into a small saucepan and work it over the lowest heat, or set the pan over a gentle bain-marie if your stove runs fierce. For each 1 cup (250 g) fondant, add 1 tablespoon of warm water when using an essence, or the selected liqueur in place of water, then add more liquid by teaspoons until the glaze pours in a continuous sheet. Warm it only to 95 to 100°F (35 to 38°C), keeping it opaque. Tint it sparingly when the flavour calls for colour.

   If the glaze is too thick, add liquid by drops. If it becomes thin, translucent, or dull from excess heat, remove it from the stove, let it cool slightly, and stir in a spoonful of reserved cool fondant to restore fine crystals. Ça se rattrape.
8. 8

   Glaze in one pour

   Arrange completely cooled, dry pastries on a rack over a tray. Pour the fluid fondant over each piece at one tilt, allowing it to cover the top and fall naturally down the sides. Work decisively and do not brush repeatedly over a setting surface, which leaves ridges and tears. Let the glaze stand for 15 to 20 minutes until dry to a light touch and smooth beneath it. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Test the thermometer in boiling water before beginning. The true target is 18°F (10°C) above your local boiling point, so a thermometer reading 208°F in boiling water means the fondant stops at 226°F, not 230°F.
• •Loaf sugar meant highly refined white sugar with no molasses flavour. Superfine white sugar is its honest home equivalent, and its smaller crystals dissolve readily before the boiling begins.
• •The glucose prevents unwanted crystallization in the saucepan without stopping the fine crystals you create on the slab. Measure it modestly. Too much leaves the fondant slack and reluctant to set.
• •Oil the working surface evenly but lightly. A dry patch grips the syrup and makes hard flakes; a puddle of oil leaves a taste and a greasy glaze.
• •This is poured confectioner's fondant, not rolled cake covering and not powdered-sugar icing. It should warm into a fluid, opaque sheet and dry with a fine satin surface.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the plain fondant up to one week ahead. Keep it tightly covered in a cool, dry cupboard, and renew the barely damp covering if it dries. A crust should be removed before warming, not kneaded into the smooth paste.
• •Once the fondant has been thinned and flavoured, use it the same day. Pastries may be glazed 4 to 6 hours before serving and held at cool room temperature; refrigeration can leave condensation on the surface unless the pastry itself requires chilling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 24g)