fondant is prepared by dissolving sugar and glucose syrup in water and boiling to the soft ball stage (see sugar boiling). When fondant is hand made, the syrup is poured out onto a cold surface and worked, first with a spatula until it turns from a clear liquid to a white, crumbly solid. It is then kneaded by hand until smooth, and finished by being left to ripen in a cool place for at least twelve hours. (This working process is mechanized for large-scale production.) The object is to produce minute crystals in a supersaturated solution of sugar, giving a ‘creamy’ texture to the finished product.
