The Art of Home Candy Making, with Illustrations

by Home Candy Makers

When the thermometer registers 240 (remember to make the correct allowance if your thermometer does not register 212 in boiling water), remove it quickly. See that your way is clear, lift the kettle off the stove and carry it to the slab, taking great care not to shake the syrup. Pour the syrup on the slab, beginning in the center at one end of the slab, pouring down toward the corner and while doing this, keep the kettle as close to the slab as you can, and at the end, quickly tip up the kettle so that it will not drip. NEVER ALLOW THE LAST OF THE SYRUP TO DRIP OUT OVER WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY POURED ON THE SLAB. NEVER SCRAPE OUT THE KETTLE, because these drops and scrapings will granulate, and when the syrup is cold there will be sugared spots on top. If this should occur, they must be removed before the syrup is worked, because they would make the fondant gritty. NEVER MOVE THE TABLE OR PLATTER WHILE THE SYRUP IS COOLING AS THIS WOULD RUIN THE CANDY. Allow the syrup to remain on the slab until cold. Test it by using the back of the hand, as it is more sensitive than the palm. WHEN THE SYRUP IS COLD IT IS READY TO BE WORKED. Then it should be as smooth as glass.

WORKING THE FONDANT.

Remove the bars by running a corner of the scraper between them and the syrup.

With the scraper or wooden paddle commence by scooping or turning the syrup toward the center so as to get it into a mass in the center of the slab, as shown in [Fig. 1]. Continue turning it over and over; always work from the edge and keep the scraper in the position of [Fig. 1]. The mass will move from one end of the slab to the other, but by always working around the edge, you will be able to keep the syrup in a mass and prevent it from spreading over the slab. Each time that you turn up the syrup, scrape the slab clean and turn the scraper up and over the mass as shown in [Fig. 2]. This movement removes the syrup from the scraper and when it works up to the handle, clean the scraper with a knife. Sugar will soon appear on the under side of the scraper, but this is only an indication that the syrup is reaching the creamy stage, when it will become much thinner and easier to work; also it will require more rapid working to prevent it from running off the slab. ([Fig. 3].)

Fig. 1