Zasu Pitts' Chocolate Dipped Fondant

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: ZASU PITTS' CHOCOLATE DIPPED FONDANT
Categories: Candies, Celebrity
Yield: 1 Recipe

---------------------------LARRY LUTTROPP FVKC70A---------------------------
BASIC FONDANT
3/4 c Boiling water
2 c Sugar
1/8 ts Cream of tartar
CHOCOLATE-DIPPED FONDANT
Basic Fondant
1 lb Dipping/coating chocolate;
-shave into small pieces

BASIC FONDANT-Heat water to boiling in 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove
from heat. Add sugar and cream of tartar. Stir with wooden spoon until all
sugar dissolves, 6 to 8 minutes, taking care not to splash mixture on sides
of pan. Place syrup mixture over medium-high heat. Heat almost to boiling.
Cover pan tightly with lid and remove from heat. Let stand 3 minutes.
Uncover, return to heat and boil briskly. Do not move pan or stir during
this time. While syrup cooks, wash any crystals that form on sides of pan
by wrapping damp cloth around tines of fork and wiping crystals out with
upward motion so that no crystals fall back into syrup. Continue cooking
until syrup reaches soft-ball stage, exactly 238~ on candy thermometer,
about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand very few minutes, or just
until bubbles disappear. At once, pour onto marble slab or large, shallow
platter. Do not scrape pan. Let cool undisturbed until slab or bottom of
platter feels comfortably cool to palm of hand (about 105 degrees), about
50 minutes. Now start turning edges of candy in toward center, using
spatula or wooden spoon. As candy turns creamy and crumbly, gather mixture
up in your hands and knead as you would bread until you get a smooth, white
ball of fondant. Wrap fondant in plastic and store in glass jar covered
with tight lid. Let fondant mellow 24 hours to 3 days. Remove fondant ball
from jar and form into small balls. Makes about 3/4 pound. CHOCOLATE-DIPPED
FONDANT-Place chocolate in top part of double boiler. In lower part, place
enough warm water (100 to 120~) to touch top pan. Keep water temperature
constant. Melting chocolate takes time. Do not hurry. When chocolate is
softened, remove top of double boiler from water and stir vigorously until
smallest lumps are all worked out. This creaming develops chocolate
texture; it must be repeated often throughout dipping. Exchange warm water
for cooler water (85~) in bottom of double boiler. Make sure chocolate does
not come in contact with steam or water, even trace can spoil it. Pour 1 c
chocolate onto marble slab or into small bowl. Work back and forth with
fingers until chocolate feels cool, 83~ is perfect. (Knowing when chocolate
is cool comes with practice. To test, let it string from tip of hand into
melted chocolate. If it holds ruffly appearance on surface for a few
seconds,

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