Buttercream Fondant

Combine sugar, milk and butter (cut into small pieces) in a heavy three-quart (3-liter) saucepan. Place on medium heat and add cream of tartar. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until al sugar crystals are completely dissolved and mixture is almost at boiling point. It will foam up as it heats. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush, and then clip on thermometer. Continue cooking without stirring, washing down sides of pan twice more. When temperature reaches 236F (113C), immediately remove pan from heat. Entire cooking process will take about 15 minutes or less. Pour out onto prepared cookie sheet. Let cool to approximately body temperature, about 15 minutes, then work with a scraper. Very soon the mixture will begin to whiten, then thicken. Continue working until it is very stiff and can be formed into a firm ball. Kneading is not necessary. You may form centers at once. TO store for months, place in container with a tight cover, cover with a damp cloth and then seal. Keep refrigerated. Yield: about 55 center for dipping. (When making fondant, pour onto surface and let cool without touching it, which may cause crystallization. You may touch the surface after you notice wrinkles forming, which is a sign that the mixture is cooling; it may take another 15 minutes to reach body temperature. If the fondant holds your fingerprint and feels only slightly warm, it us ready to work. Set you cookie sheet on a cake rack to allow air to circulate around it and cool from the bottom. To work the fondant, hold a scraper almost horizontally under the fondant and lift it moving it to the center. Continue this around all sides. Continue working it until it becomes stiff and can be formed into a mound. It should be stiff enough so you can stand the scraper straight up in it.) For centers you can add: Nuts Chopped dried or candied fruits Oil based Flavorings Tints Knead chilled fondant on a surface dusted with cornstarch. Return kneaded fondant to refrigerator to form before forming into centers. Cream of Tartar Fondant 2 cups (480 ml) HOT water 6 cups (1.5 liter or 1.2 kg) granulated cane sugar 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar Make as above except remove from heat when mixture reaches 240F (116C) The final step in working this fondant is to knead it for about 3 minutes until it becomes creamy. Enough for 250 to 300 centers of over 300 mints Corn Syrup Fondant 2 cups (480 ml) HOT water 6 cups (1.5 liter or 1.2 kg) granulated cane sugar 3/5 cup (180ml) light corn syrup Make as above; cook until the mixture reaches 240F (116C)