Foods, their selection and preparation

tablespoons glucose). The mixture should be stirred carefully while slowly heating, until all the crystals are completely dissolved. Any sugar crystals left will grow and form large crystals. After the sugar is completely dissolved, it is a good practice to cover the pan and allow the sirup to come to a heavy boil. The steam will wash any undissolved crystals from the sides. Then remove the cover and let the sirup boil, without stirring, to form an almost saturated solution. If any crystals form from the splashing of the sirup on the sides of the pan they should be wiped off carefully with a damp cloth wrapped around the prongs of a fork. Heat until the boiling point is 237° F. At this point the solution is almost saturated. It is then poured, without scraping the pan, onto a large platter or a slab and allowed to cool to 104° F. before it is beaten; or it may be cooled in the pan in which it is cooked, provided crystals have not been permitted to accumulate on the sides. The beating should continue until crystallization is complete. At the beginning, the sirup is clear and viscous. It first becomes cloudy from the inclosed air, then opaque and thicker. As the crystals are formed it tends to soften, but as the '"water of crystallization" is withdrawn from the solution, the mixture may set or harden quite suddenly. Then it should be kneaded to soften it. If the fondant is too hard, it has been cooked to too high a temperature. When fondant cooked to the correct con¬ centration fails to cream, the difficulty re¬ sults from too much invert or simple sugar. This may be caused by too much acid, too slow cooking, or too much added sirup. The resultant sirup can be used to sweeten drinks, or in cookery, or in making an uncrystallized candy, but not in the preparation of a cream candy. Fondant or any other of the cream candies should be stored in tightly covered containers [39] to prevent their either drying out or absorb¬ ing moisture. The consistency of fondant varies with room temperature. Fondant too soft to be handled at ordinary temperatures is easy to handle at low temperatures. For soft choco¬ late centers, the fondant is cooked to a tem¬ perature two or three degrees lower than usual. After creaming, the soft fondant is poured into molds and cooled until it solidi¬ fies. These soft centers must be dipped in chocolate or some firm cover while still cold. Soft-centered chocolates are prepared com¬ mercially by adding the enzyme invertase to the fondant before dipping in the chocolate. Then the chocolates are held at a suitable temperature for the invertase to change the sucrose to the softer invert sugar. Different flavors may be worked into the fondant. Vanilla is the most usual flavoring, but almond, coffee, and maple flavor also are used. Maple sirup, butter, or cream used in the preparation of fondant gives special flavor and texture. The flavored fondant may be molded plain or after the addition of nuts and dried or candied fruits. Molds of plain fondant may have a nut meat placed on top. Balls of soft fondant may be rolled in cinnamon, cocoa, chopped nuts, or grated coconut. Fondant mixtures are used to stuff dates.