Fondant

A liquid icing that is widely used in the pastry shop for glazing and decorating. If properly applied, it dries to form a silky-smooth shell that not only enhances the appearance of a pastry but preserves it as well by sealing it from the air. Fondant is a sugar syrup that is recrystallized to a creamy white paste. Glucose and cream of tartar are used to invert part of the sugar to achieve the proper amount of recrystallization. Without these ingredients, the cooked sugar would harden and be impossible to work with. Conversely, if too much glucose or cream of tartar is used, there will not be enough recrystallization, and the fondant will be soft and runny.