Source: The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book (1896)
Brew the coffee strong — use double the grounds you'd normally steep for drinking — then pour into cold water and heat to a rolling boil. This extracts the full volatile oils and soluble solids without letting them dissipate. Strain through double cheesecloth whilst still hot. The liquid should be dark mahogany and smell assertive; weak coffee yields a fondant that tastes like sweetened milk.
Return the strained coffee to the saucepan and add the sugar and cream of tartar. The fondant technique demands precision here. Cream of tartar is your insurance against premature crystallisation — it inverts sucrose into glucose and fructose, which crystallise more slowly and at different rates, yielding the fine, silky grain that defines proper fondant rather than rock sugar. Stir only until the sugar dissolves, then stop. Any further agitation whilst heating triggers unwanted crystal formation.
Heat without stirring to 112°C, measured with a sugar thermometer. At this temperature — soft-ball stage — the mixture has the right water content to form the desired microcrystalline structure. Watch the surface for bubbling; when it subsides slightly and the syrup begins to look almost transparent with a faint amber tint, you're close. Remove from the heat immediately and let it cool to 40°C on the work surface without moving the pan. Disturbance now will spoil everything.
Once cooled, work the fondant by beating it with a wooden spoon or paddle. It will gradually thicken, lose its gloss, and turn opaque — this is caramelisation of the sugar crystals beginning their transformation into the dense, creamy mass you want. Continue for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape but still pliable. The coffee flavour intensifies as the fondant sets; reserve a small amount as a glaze for icing cakes, or knead gently and shape into small balls rolled in caster sugar for petit fours. Store in an airtight container — fondant absorbs moisture aggressively.
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