Baker's Fondant

[East Yorks New Bee]

Is that a tablespoon of glucose for every 2lbs of sugar?
How much water is lost on evaporation and what weight of fondant is left?

You are left with 2 1/2 pounds of fondant, made some last night

 

[Hawklord]

Thanks Dave.

 

[ribblesbees]

Bakers Fondant


Heat water, sugar and glucose together until sugar has dissolved, bring to boil, boil to 240f. Put the pan into a sink of cold water and start stirring with a flat wooden spatula. QUOTE]

Just a couple of quick questions re the recipe for fondant.

1) How do you know when it's reached 240F as my sugar thermometer (and others I've looked at only go up to 200 or maybe 220? How critical is this temperature as otherwise it would have to be a guestimate as to when it reached that temperature? Does anyone know if you can get thermometers that go higher?

2) Apart form the heat conduction in a metal spatula, does it have to be a wooden spatula or would any non-heat conducting flat spatula be OK?

 

[Frisbee]

Just a couple of quick questions re the recipe for fondant.
1) How do you know when it's reached 240F as my sugar thermometer (and others I've looked at only go up to 200 or maybe 220? How critical is this temperature as otherwise it would have to be a guestimate as to when it reached that temperature? Does anyone know if you can get thermometers that go higher?

You are talking Centigrade and I am talking Fahrenheit. The Centigrade temperature is 116. It is absolutely crucial to get the temperature right. Please see this thread for how to get the correct temperature without a sugar thermometer:-
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/sho...ht=thermometer

) Apart form the heat conduction in a metal spatula, does it have to be a wooden spatula or would any non-heat conducting flat spatula be OK?

Yes it would be okay, but bear in mind the heat of the mixture may soften or even melt a cheap plastic one. I myself would use a pallet knife which is metal with a wooden handle, but again beware cheap ones which would be too flexible. I said a wooden spatula because most people would have one of those.

Frisbee

 

[ribblesbees]

Many thanks Frisbee.

 

[Frisbee]

No problem. I've just added the necessary bits to the original recipe as it's been asked more than once.

It's funny really........I've been researching my family tree and my dad's mum came from a family of sugar boilers............

Frisbee

 

[ribblesbees]

It's funny really........I've been researching my family tree and my dad's mum came from a family of sugar boilers............

Frisbee

That sort of thing often happens in families. Somewhere in a family tree there is a link/connection, whatever you like to call it, to a person's likes/work/ etc. I suppose it could be (please excuse the cliche of 'it's in the genes'

 

[Rosti]

How much Fondant are you making guys? If you are opening a sweet shop then fine but otherwise 12.5Kg Bako fondant from Halls of Kendall = £12. No additives, no flavours, no mess, no hassle - or doubts about overheating sugars and it's enough as a back-up. Even better if it's a present from Sky Draggon who was buying some anyway (and thanks SD by the way!)

 

[Frisbee]

How much Fondant are you making guys? If you are opening a sweet shop then fine but otherwise 12.5Kg Bako fondant from Halls of Kendall = £12. No additives, no flavours, no mess, no hassle - or doubts about overheating sugars and it's enough as a back-up. Even better if it's a present from Sky Draggon who was buying some anyway (and thanks SD by the way!)

I think you'll find if you read back over the threads that the cost of bought fondant has been discussed. Not everyone has access to suppliers. This thread was started with a recipe for anyone who for whatever reason wanted or needed to make their own.

Frisbee

 

[DrNick]

How much Fondant are you making guys? If you are opening a sweet shop then fine but otherwise 12.5Kg Bako fondant from Halls of Kendall = £12. No additives, no flavours, no mess, no hassle - or doubts about overheating sugars and it's enough as a back-up. Even better if it's a present from Sky Draggon who was buying some anyway (and thanks SD by the way!)

Also, those with several hives to feed, 6 x £12 + fuel/postage is a lot of money, and I bet Halls are not open new years day etc when you could need it most, knowing how to make fondant is a valuable back-up for anyone keeping bees.

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

The weather here has been pretty cool and we have had plenty of rain. Our (one) hive is still active, though I think the laying is slowing down.

We have been feeding syrup from time to time when it has been particularly miserable. But should we really be feeding fondant now?

 

[DrNick]

My thoughts are no, though I stand to be corrected, the weather as poor as it is is still warm and bees can still get out to forage and go to the loo when needed, syrup now is a good back-up for this time of year, fondant later when it gets colder if needed.

 

[Loubee]

I've noticed that Silver Spoon do a dry ready mix of fondant icing - ingredients are dried glucose syrup and icing sugar. It probably works out as expensive, especially if you have a number of hives, at 95p for 500g. But, would this do any harm to have as a store cupboard back up? I've never used it, making up syrup instead, but would it cause the bees to have diarrhoea? Has anyone tried it? Cheers.

 

[Frisbee]

I've noticed that Silver Spoon do a dry ready mix of fondant icing - ingredients are dried glucose syrup and icing sugar. It probably works out as expensive, especially if you have a number of hives, at 95p for 500g. But, would this do any harm to have as a store cupboard back up? I've never used it, making up syrup instead, but would it cause the bees to have diarrhoea? Has anyone tried it? Cheers.

It is confusing these days as a fairly modern product known as Roll-out icing is often called fondant or fondant icing. I don't know the dry product you are speaking of but imagine it to be a mix for roll out icing. True fondant is a boiled sugar product. Your dry mix is easily twice the price of bakers fondant. If there are no other ingredients in it then I would think it would be an ok substitute for bakers (boiled sugar) fondant, although as all sugar products are hygroscopic, that one will be worse and will go to a sticky mush far quicker. I think the general rule of thumb is to feed enough syrup in the autumn and use fondant if necessary in early spring, although as with all things I do believe some members on here only feed fondant. If you just wanted to buy a 12.5kg box then find a small independant bakers and ask them.

Frisbee

 

[peteinwilts]

I was reading on a cookery website that bakers fondants can be made with up to 15% of glucose (!!)

I presume some makes must be better thanm others!?

 

[oliver90owner]

Sugar is sugar. Doubt if it makes a jot of difference whether it is a mono- or di-saccharide version, left or right handed versions. The bees are only going to convert it to carbon dioxide and water releasing energy. Just an energy source, souble in water.

Regards, RAB

 

[Frisbee]

I was reading on a cookery website that bakers fondants can be made with up to 15% of glucose (!!)

I presume some makes must be better thanm others!?

The glucose content will be to make it more malleable for the bakery trade.

I well remember the craze of sugar blowing, running through the lecturers at the Catering College where I worked in the late '70's. If you boil sugar to a certain temperature (probably hard crack) then it will blow like glass. Fantastic fruits and shapes were made, I'm pretty sure glucose was necessary for anything like that, the craze died down (as they do) and moved onto moulded flowers which is the mainstay of the wedding cake industry now. Then the roses looked like cabbages, but we all thought they were great..............rambling now..... do excuse me.

Frisbee

 

[JCBrum]

Then the roses looked like cabbages,

Fris, do you remember those two TV cooks, Fanny and Johnny Cradock, (silly me you're not old enough).

They did a TV program on how to make American style ring doughnuts.

Johnny closed the program by saying " Goodnight viewers, and I hope all your Doughnuts turn out like Fannys. "

 

[Frisbee]

Fris, do you remember those two TV cooks, Fanny and Johnny Cradock, (silly me you're not old enough).

Alas I do remember them........I was a babe in arms though

They did a TV program on how to make American style ring doughnuts.

Johnny closed the program by saying " Goodnight viewers, and I hope all your Doughnuts turn out like Fannys. "

It wasn't a programme I watched since I was in catering anyway it was too much coals to Newcastle, but that saying has gone down as one of the gems........

Fris

 

[jezd]

fyi - just ordered 30 x 12kg blocks of fondant from Bako, £10.60 per box.

Jez