Fondant

This is a no-cook fondant recipe, the kind your grandmother probably made at Christmas for chocolate-covered cherries or mint patties. Four ingredients (butter, corn syrup, salt, powdered sugar) mixed until they come together into a soft, pliable dough that takes any flavor and color you add, then molds into whatever shape you want.

Unlike cooked fondant that requires a candy thermometer and sugar-at-soft-ball-stage precision, this version skips all that and is forgiving.

Work it with your hands or a stand mixer until the mixture holds together in a smooth ball. If it’s too dry, add corn syrup a teaspoon at a time. If it’s too sticky, work in more powdered sugar. Split it into batches and tint each with a different color and flavor (peppermint, lemon, orange, maple, coffee) for an assorted box.

The dip is the finishing move: melted semi-sweet chocolate thinned with a small amount of parawax (food-grade paraffin) so it sets to a glossy, firm shell instead of going dull and bloomed.

Dip each shaped piece with a fork, let excess drip back, and set on waxed paper to harden.

Kitchen Tips

• Chill shaped fondant for 30 minutes before dipping, cold centers dip cleaner without smearing
• Use a two-fork method for dipping, one to lower and one to lift, which avoids fingerprints
• If parawax is hard to source (some grocery stores keep it in the canning aisle), you can substitute a teaspoon of vegetable shortening per cup of chocolate
• Store dipped candies in a single layer in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 2 weeks

Variations

• Add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract and a drop of green food coloring for classic mint patties
• Mix in finely chopped toasted nuts or dried fruit for texture
• Press centers around a whole maraschino cherry (well-drained) for homemade chocolate-covered cherries