Fondant
"Fondant"
From the treasured pages of Libro para Recetas
Written by Susana de Sánchez Irazoqui
Fondant
"azúcar 1 kilo agua 1/4 de litro limon 100 gotas se pone a la lumbre cuando adquiera un hervir a punto y se espuma a nivel se saca a la se mbre tres veces se espuma y a la ultima se cuela, se pone a punto a la lumbre y se le ponen las cien gotas el punto es de blen flojo."
English Translation
"sugar 1 kilo water 1/4 liter lemon 100 drops put on the stove when it starts to boil and creates foam, remove the foam each time until level. Take it out and pour it three times, skimming off the foam each time, and on the last time strain it. Put it back on the stove to the right consistency and add the hundred drops. The right consistency is a soft ball stage."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in a concise format typical of early 20th-century Mexican cookbooks, with minimal punctuation and abundant reliance on culinary intuition. Words like 'blen flojo' (a phonetic spelling of 'bland flojo' or 'punto de bola floja,' meaning 'soft ball stage') and 'se mbre' (an obsolete or misspelled form for 'se embebe' or 'to pour off/skimming') reflect both local usage and spelling norms of the time. Historically, recipes assumed a certain base knowledge; exact times or temperatures were rarely given. The focus was on the procedural essence, trusting the cook to make judgments by eye, taste, and experience.
Title
Libro para Recetas (1914)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Susana de Sánchez Irazoqui
Era
1914
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A handwritten culinary treasure from early 20th-century Durango, this manuscript brings together cherished home recipes, lovingly passed down by a family of women. Discover the flavors and traditions of Mexico in a time of change, told one intimate recipe at a time.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This fondant recipe hails from a family manuscript cookbook written by Susana de Sánchez Irazoqui and relatives in Durango, Mexico, during 1914—a period of significant social and culinary transition. Handwritten by women across generations, the recipe captures the domestic artistry of the early 20th-century Mexican kitchen, where traditional sweets played an important role in celebrations and daily life. The attention to clarifying the syrup reflects a home cook’s adaptation of European candy-making technique, remade with local ingredients and in a Mexican domestic context. Such recipes exemplify the blend of old and new: fondant, a European technique, finds a new voice in postcolonial Mexico amidst a period marked by revolution and modernization.
Cooks in 1914 would have used heavy-bottomed copper or enameled pots, a wooden spoon or spatula for stirring, a skimmer (espumadera) for removing foam, and a fine mesh cloth or sieve for straining. Temperature was gauged not by thermometer but by touch (testing a syrup's 'soft ball' stage in a bowl of cold water). The process was equal parts intuition and practice, with heat from wood or coal-fired stoves contributing to the subtlety of sugar work. Glass droppers or small spoons would be used for precise lemon juice measurement, though much was still 'by feel.'
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Servings
20
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 2.2 pounds granulated sugar
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) water
- 100 drops lemon juice (approximately 1 teaspoon, or substitute with 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice)
Instructions
- To make this early 20th-century Mexican fondant, begin by combining 2.2 pounds of granulated sugar with 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of water in a saucepan.
- Heat gently while stirring until fully dissolved, then add approximately 100 drops of lemon juice (about 1 teaspoon).
- Bring the mixture to a boil; once it reaches a steady simmer, carefully skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Repeat this skimming process three times, ensuring the syrup remains as clear as possible.
- After the third skimming, strain the syrup through a fine sieve or cheesecloth to remove remaining impurities.
- Return the strained syrup to the heat, and add the final dash of lemon juice.
- Continue cooking gently until the syrup reaches a 'soft ball' stage (approximately 234°F–239°F).
- Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly before using in confections or for molding.
Estimated Calories
160 per serving
Cooking Estimates
It takes about 10 minutes to prepare the ingredients, and about 20 minutes to cook the sugar syrup for fondant. This recipe makes enough fondant for 20 servings, with about 160 calories per serving.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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