Fondant Making Tips

I made my first batch of fondant today.  It turned out great, but I thought if some of you are planning on doing it at home I should give you a few tips that I realized while I was doing mine and that were missing from the recipe.

*  BE SURE to use a Heavy pot.  (I made a double batch and used my pressure cooker because it is the heaviest pot I own.)

*  Be sure the pot is well buttered before measuring your ingredients into it.

*  STIR CONSTANTLY - only until mixture starts boiling.  I used the medium heat on my stove.  If your heat is too high, your fondant will burn.

*  DO NOT STIR while it is boiling.  Do not be impatient.  This is not a quick process.

*  To check for soft ball stage, dip spoon into boiling mixture (without stirring).  Take a spoonful out and drop mixture into cold water.  Work it with your fingers.  It needs to stay together in a soft ball.  The ball needs to be a fairly firm soft ball, not one that will easily fall apart. 

NOTE:  Even if you are using a candy thermometer, do the cold water check.  Not all candy termometers are accurate.

At the end, you plop the butter into the mixture and without stirring or shaking, allow it to cool to about your body temperature.  I always wash my hands really well and stick my finger straight down the middle of the mixture.  DO NOT STIR IT.  Just put your finger straight down and straight up. 

When it is the right temperature, you can start working it.  Once you start, do not stop before it has turned.  This will take at least 20 minutes.  Keep the mixture moving. If you stop part way through, your fondant will turn sugary and will need to be re-cooked.

I hope the above is helpful.  Every year I need to do a trial run and try to remember all the little tricks. 

Chocolate making together will be fun.

Love to all,
Gramma

Update from Aaron & Chelsey!!

Hello Family!

It's been a while since we blogged, so thought we would give an update. Aaron is FINALLY working in Red Deer! YAY! It's so great to have him home everynight. He is working for a company called DFI, and so far he is enjoying it. He is also going to Red Deer College, taking his 4th class power engineering course, so he has been very busy. Life has been hectic lately with so much going on, but we are so happy with life and blessed for the good things coming our way.

Brooke has started Grade 2 this year. She is doing so well in school and we are very proud. Time sure flys! She is now back living in Fort McMurray.

We spent Thanksgiving camping at Chelsey's Aunty's farm near Boyle.. and we got some fall pics done, so we thought we would share a few..along with some pictures from Brooke's very first concert.. Chelsey took her to......  JUSTIN BIEBER.. she was so excited.

Hope everyone is doing well .....

Aaron & Chelsey
xoxoxoxo

 

We always have to get a goofy picture :)

Brooke rockin' her new T-Shirt!!

Brooke & Keisha patienly waiting for Justin Beiber to show up...

First Snowman of the Season

Yesterday we got our first snow of the season! I couldn't resist taking Camilla out to play, even though it was a little chilly.  We had a great time walking around the yard, pushing snowballs, and making a snow man.  It made me super excited for the Christmas season (it's not too far away!! ).  We are all doing good, and just thought we'd share some pictures from our afternoon out in the snow!

POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!!

We got a POSITIVE pregnancy test!!! Sooooooo this is going to happen again! Woot woot!!!!

Can you believe the Polischuk's get to have another baby?!  We feel so blessed and are super excited that Amelia gets to have a sibling.  Kinda cool that we are taking this adventure along side the Stannix clan again.  These wee folk must have wanted to head down together. Anyway we are thrilled and are expecting TBA II in early June possibly around the 8th. Stay tuned, this is fairly new but wanted to share our joyous news with those we love so dearly!

Love Graham, Jenny, Amelia & TBA II

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary you two love birds. I hope that your day is filled with much joy and that you can spend time reminiscing about the years that you have been together, that you can dig up all the good memories and great times that you have had. It is wonderful to have parents as loving and kind as you to set such a great example for us to follow. I have tried to model my relationship with my Bride after your example.

Keep on Truckin'  through the years.

Love you both,   Troy and Nancy

Lethbridge Womens Jr Hockey

MacKenzy had a great game on Saturday evening. She got an assist on their only goal, with an outstanding play. The ladies played hard and put the game into overtime. They started a sudden death overtime period playing 4 on 4 , and after a bad call against their team by the Ref they struggled as the other team got control and scored. MacKenzy played an excellent game (and no I am NOT being BIAS).

Love you all, Troy

Chocolate Making - Fondant Recipe

Here is the recipe.  Please note that you can NOT go cheap on this recipe.  You must use REAL BUTTER and creamy or half & half - not homo or 2%.  You also need a good sized heavy pot.  (This recipe doubles very well if you have a big enough pot)

Here is the recipe.
CREAM FONDANT
Butter your kettle on the bottom and on the sides.
4 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups creamy or half & half
2 Tbsp. white corn syrup
few grains of salt

Put all ingredients in your buttered pot.
Stir constantly until mixture comes to a rolling boil.
Cook to soft ball stage. (this is the tricky part)
(to check for soft ball stage.  have a small bowl or cup with cold water.  Without disturbing the mixture, with a spoon, take a bit of the mixture and drop into the water.  If it stays  together, and you can make it into a soft ball, it is ready.  This takes quite a while so don't get too anxious.
Do not scrape sides into the fondant as it is cooking.  

Remove from stove.  Plop 2 Tbsp of butter into mixture.  Do NOT stir. 
Cover and set aside to cool. (I always set mine outside in the snow because this takes quite a long time).
Do not disturb your fondant until it becomes about your body temperature.  To check, just stick your CLEAN finger straight down the center of the mixture. Don't stir it. 


NOW COMES THE WORK:
When your fondant is cool, it needs to be beaten.  Once you have begun beating, don't quit or it will turn sugary.  You cannot use a wooden spoon because it is too firm and will break any spoon you use, so you will have to use your hands.  Some people put it out on their buttered counter but it can be done right in the pot.  You will have to use your hand to work it.  It takes about 20 minutes of continuous working.  Don't stop!
Even if you change people.  Have the second person take over while you are still working the fondant.  This is really important.
The fondant will go through several stages before it is finished.  It will go through a stage that looks like taffy, then will go through a quite runny stage just before it turns.  As you sense it is turning, give it ALL YOUR EFFORT (yes, I know you are really tired at this stage but do it anyway).

After your fondant has turned, you are ready to flavour it.  Please do not use cheap flavorings because you need too much and makes it too soft and runny and then it is extremely hard to dip.  There are specific flavorings for fondant and can be purchased at Bosch or Michaels.  It is good to go together with others to get these flavorings because they are quite expensive and you only need a little.

Your fondant should be stored in an airtite container like a margarine container, tupperware or ziploc bowl.  If you are going to dip a few weeks, it does not need to be refrigerated. 

Happy candy making.  Any questions, just ask.  I might even be able to answer them.

OH YES!
If your fondant turns sugary, don't throw it out - it can be re-cooked by using the same amount of half & half and putting the fondant into it.  Just cook it as the recipe says.

JENNY:  Did I miss anything?

I hope the above is helpful.


CONFERENCE:
We really didn't get to watch too much conference and when we did watch, I wasn't quite with it so I don't have a lot to share with you.  Sorry!

FUNERAL:
We attended Barb's mom's funeral.  It was a very large funeral.  She obviously was an amazing lady and touched many many lives.  We are thinking of you Barb, Brandon, and all your awesome children and wish the Lord's comforting hand to be with you. 

Love to all,
Gramma & Grampa 

Pics n Plans!

Wohoo our family reunion pics are finally done!  The lighting that day was SUPER tricky so there are lots of shadows but she did get some good ones.  The above is my fav group shot.  Each child of Grandma and Grandpa plus Auntie Sylvia will get a cd, you can then copy for your individual family members as you wish.

On another note, Chocolate Making update....we are hoping Grandma will post her fondant recipe with any tips, if you are interested in trying the recipe at home to then bring and dip on Saturday please post the flavour you plan to try in comment section of this post, thus no duplicates.  Grandma and I will be making a couple of batches ahead of time as well.  The dipping is really the part where we can use more adult hands. Also please save any pieces of cardboard, roughly the size of a cookie sheet.  These will be used to place the dipped chocolates on until they set,we need a lot of them.  As well, please check out your dollar stores for small cups (like mini cupcake papers) to place chocolates in and 'pretty' boxes to put finished products into.  Just a hint you will love the chocolates so much that the smaller the better and only a single layer high.   I will be getting the good Chocolate and Grandma has saved some great boxes, we do have some supplies but need more.  We will also sqaure up the cost at the end of the weekend for chocolate and fondant supplies so keep track of what you spend.  We will be dipping Saturday November 13th at my house in Fort Sask. 

Grandma is there anything else you can think of???

Woot, woot!! Looking forward to it.  Hugs ~Jenny & Auntie Charlene