Experimental cookery

107 109 114-118 2 cups 109 111 114 120 135 1 cup 1 cup 110-111 113 115-116 120-122 140 1 cup 2 cups 112 114-115 118-120 126-128 145-150 2 cups 113-115 118 122 132 155-170 1 cup 1 cup 2 cups 118 125-128 122 132 132 140 140-145 It can be seen from this table that the greater the proportion of corn sirup used the lower the temperature to which the sirup needs to be cooked for a definite stage of hardness. Fondant Fondant is made when sucrose is cooked with water to a definite temperature, the sirup is cooled and beaten, and the mass crystallizes. According to accepted standards for good fondant, it should be snowy white. The crystals should be so small that they are imperceptible and not gritty on the palate. The fondant should be soft enough to be plastic and velvety but not dry and crumbly. Cooking of fondant. Enough water should be added to dissolve all the sugar during the cooking period. With rapid boiling a larger proportion of water can be used. With a slow fire and slow boiling, it is preferable to use less water, or a long time is required for the cooking process. With larger quantities of sugar the proportion of water is reduced because CONCENTRATION AND TEMPERATURE 57 evaporation is relatively more rapid from the small quantity of sirup. Covering the pan during the first part of the cooking period allow^s the steam to dissolve and wash dow^n crystals from the sides of the pan. Some directions state not to stir the sirup while it is boiling. It is well to stir it to be sure all the sugar is dissolved, so that there are no crystals in the sirup to start crystallization while it is cooling. The danger in stirring candy while it is boiling comes from splashing the sirup on the sides of the pan. These drops of sirup on the side of the pan become dry and nuclei form which serve as a basis for crystallization while the sirup is cooling. A damp cloth is often used to swab the sides of the pan to prevent nuclei and crystals forming there during the cooking of the sirup. Since boiling solutions of sugars are not saturated solutions, any candy can be stirred as much as desired while it is boiling without causing crystallization, provided the sirup is not splashed on the sides of the pan. But after the sirup stops boiling it cools quickly and soon reaches the super- saturation point. If the sirup is poured for cooling from the pan in which it is cooked, it should be done quickly. Directions often state not to scrape the portion clinging to the pan with the spoon. Of course this is because the small amount of sirup left on the sides of the pan soon cools to the supersaturation point, and if it is stirred, as it must be in scraping it from the sides of the pan, crystals may form that will seed the entire mass. The thermometer should not be allowed to roll around in the sirup while the sirup is cooling for this agitates the sirup. The pan should be set level so that all parts of the sirup cool equally. The container in which the fondant is poured to cool should have a smooth surface, as rough surfaces may induce crystallization. In the preceding pages the factors determining the size of crystals in sugar crystallization are discussed. These factors are applicable in making fondant and fudge.