More Helpful Hints
Working with Fondant- To color white fondant, use a paste color and knead the fondant until desired shade.
- When using the fondant embosser, you should brush the assembled roller with shortening for easy release.
- Before covering cakes with fondant, they must be lightly iced to seal in moisture and to help fondant stick to the cake.
- Use a smooth surface for rolling fondant. A nonstick mat can serve as your workstation.
Using Confectionery Coatings
- Don't rush the melting procedure - you can ruin the coatings through overheating. Also, water is dangerous to coating. Drops of water can make the coating seize and you will have to throw it out!
- To color confectionery coating, do not use liquid food color as it contains water; instead, use powdered food color or oil-based candy colors. Flavors (extracts) or colors containing water will thicken the coating.
- Spoon the melted coating into dry molds. Tap the mold gently to remove any entrapped air bubbles. Place mold in freezer for a few minutes to set the coating.
Creating Hard Candy
- Working quickly and efficiently is important in cooking and molding hard candy. It is important to have everything assembled and ready for most efficient use of time.
- Arrange your countertop so you have all utensils and ingredients within fast reach.
- Keep paste colors and toothpicks near the stove for quick addition.
- Have flavors available near stove.
- You may want to have waxed paper or spoon holder ready for laying down sticky spoons or thermometer.
- Hard candy may not harden on rainy or humid days. You may want to use Humi-Sweet instead of the corn syrup in your recipe to prevent sticky candies.
- Thermometer Calibration for High Altitudes. Before making the candy, check your candy thermometer for accuracy by placing it in water and bringing the water to a boil. The thermometer should register 212 degrees F. (100 degrees C). If the reading is higher or lower, take the difference into account when testing the temperature of a syrup.
- Prepare a lightly oiled cookie sheet to pour any extra candy syrup after molds have been filled.
