Experimental cookery

The addition of beaten egg white to fondant also retards the rate of crystal growth during storage. Figs. 4, 6, and 8 show crystals from fondant to which egg white has been added. Since the egg white is ad- sorbed by the crystals, the effectiveness of the egg white in preventing crystal growth may partially depend upon how the egg white is distributed throughout the fondant. Swanson found that not much more than 6 per cent of beaten egg white could be added to the fondant, without the fondant becoming too fluid. She found 3 per cent of added egg white to be as effective as 6 in preventing growth of crystals during storage. The addition of dextrose, levulose, or invert sugar to fondant. Dextrose, levulose, or invert sirup may be added directly to sucrose solu- tions to aid in regulating the size of the crystals. Or, invert sugar may be formed during cooking of the sucrose sirup by adding citric, tartaric, or acetic acids. Often cream of tartar is used for inverting sucrose in fondant. COLOR OF FONDANT 65 It is difficult to regulate conditions, such as the time of cooking, to obtain a definite percentage of invert sugar for sucrose is inverted more rapidly with higher temperatures and greater acidity. Hence, it is sometimes pref- erable to add a definite quantity of dextrose, levulose, or invert sugar. Woodruff and van Gilder found that cream of tartar inverted the sucrose more slowly than citric, tartaric, or hydrochloric acids at the same pH. Cream of tartar can be added in sufficient quantity to produce enough invert sugar to give small crystals and to add to the smoothness of the fondant. If added in too large a quantity, too much invert sugar is formed, so that the fondant is too fluid. The flavor of the fondant is quite acid when a large proportion of cream of tartar is used. The larger the quantity of dextrose or levulose added in making fondant the longer the time required to beat the sirup to bring about crystallization. With too large a proportion of these sugars the fondant is soft. When fluid centers of confections are desired, it is necessary to add substances that bring about inversion of the sucrose after the fondant is dipped in chocolate or treated in some way to give a firm outer coating. Woodruff and van Gilder state that sirups with concentrations of 43 per cent or more invert sugar would not crystallize; those containing 16 to 23 per cent formed a semi-fluid mass of crystals; and those containing 6 to 15 per cent gave a plastic, moldable product. With 11.1 per cent or more of invert sugar the crystals of maximum size measured 10 to 13.2 microns and the grain was exceedingly fine to tongue and roof of the mouth. Fondants containing 7 per cent reducing sugars of either kind (glucose or levulose) were of agreeably fine texture, with their largest crystals measur- ing 15 to 19 microns. Crystals in candies of observed coarse texture meas- ured 45 or more microns. Differences in crystal size of 6 to 10 microns, which was the difference of crystal measurements of fondants rated very fine and slightly coarse, could be detected by the tactile sense. Halliday and Noble have reported that the addition of corn sirup, which contains dextrose and dextrin, tends to prevent the growth of crystals during storage of fondant. They also found that fondant made with cream of tartar retarded crystal growth during storage.