The four recipes that follow show how fondant can be made up into attractive as well as delicious confections. They will doubtless give the housewife other ideas as to ways of preparing candies from this foundation material.
102. BONBONS.--In a broad sense, bonbons mean candy or confections in general, but it is also the name of candies made out of colored and flavored fondant. Sometimes they are made small and dainty and are decorated with a nut meat or a piece of maraschino or candied cherry or candied pineapple. Again, centers may be made that contain coconut, nuts, figs, dates, raisins, etc., and these then dipped in some of the fondant that has been colored, flavored, and melted.
103. When bonbons are to be made, remove fondant in pieces from the utensil in which it has been stored. Work it with the hands as it was worked when put away and add the desired coloring and flavoring at this time. If simple bonbons are to be made, form the colored and flavored fondant into tiny balls, place them on oiled paper, and press a nut or a piece of maraschino or candied cherry or candied pineapple on top.
104. To make more elaborate bonbons, form, as in Fig. 14, small round centers out of the fondant to which have been added such materials as dates, figs, raisins, nuts, or coconut, or any combination of these. Only enough fondant should be used to make the other materials stick together. Then, in a double boiler, color, flavor, and melt some of the fondant and, with a coating or other fork, drop the centers into this melted cream. When thoroughly coated, remove, and place on waxed paper. While warm, a piece of nut or candied fruit may be placed on the top of each one. If it is desired not to use fondant in the centers, the nuts or candied fruits themselves may be dipped into the melted bonbon cream and then placed on waxed paper to harden.
105. RECEPTION WAFERS.--Thin wafers made of fondant are a confection much used at parties, receptions, and similar social gatherings. One variety of these is colored pink and flavored with wintergreen, while another is flavored with peppermint and not colored in any way. Other colors and flavors may also be made if desired, but the usual kinds are the pink and white ones.
Divide the mass of fondant to be used into two parts and color one of these a pale pink. Flavor the pink mass with wintergreen and the white one with peppermint. Put one of these in a double boiler and allow it to melt until it is soft enough to pour. Then, as in Fig. 15, with a dessert spoon or a tablespoon, drop the melted fondant on a smooth surface in sufficient amounts to make wafers about the size of a quarter. Drop quickly and as accurately as possible so that the wafers will be the same size and shape. Allow them to stand until cold and set.
Sometimes it will be found that two wafers can be dropped from the same spoonful before the material becomes too cold to pour, but usually it is necessary to dip a fresh spoonful for each wafer. As the fondant hardens on the back of the spoon it should be scraped off and put back into the double boiler. A comparatively small amount of fondant should be melted at one time in order to provide against its becoming sugary, but if it shows any signs of this condition the double boiler should be emptied and thoroughly cleaned before more of the fondant is melted in it.