One of my grandmothers was known for her fudge during the holiday season. She would make a batch and distribute it out in small tins to a special few, and the rest was put out on a platter for Christmas Eve dinner, where it would greedily be devoured. I remember being encouraged to bring a little home when my sister and I visited for the holiday meal.
I have always been a little picky when it comes to sweets but have held a dear place in my heart for anything that involved chocolate. My grandmother did not share this recipe with me, but I know a thing or two about food and science, so I figured it out on my own like so many family recipes.
I haven鈥檛 made fudge in years, as I don鈥檛 make a lot of sweets at home since my wife is a pastry chef, and all four of my children work at the amazing bakery, Incredibly Delicious. When I do make pastries, I try to do things I don鈥檛 see my wife make or old favorites that you can鈥檛 get anymore. If you have read a couple of my articles, I love making pastries and bread just as much as any savory food. One of these days, I will have to share some fun bartending science, but that is yet another article.
The easiest way to make fudge uses chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. You just melt it all together, add any mix-ins, pour it into a pan and let it chill for three hours. The more traditional way to make fudge is more in the realm of candy making. Sugar, cocoa powder and salt are combined and cooked to a particular temperature. While doing this, it is important to not stir the mixture as it will form sugar crystals, which will seize the fudge and ruin it. Once it comes to temperature, butter and vanilla are added but not stirred in, once again to avoid crystallization. Once the mixture gets to 115-130 degrees, the fudge is agitated until a particular opaque consistency is met. At this point, mix-ins are added quickly, and then it is all moved to a lined pan to set.
As far as ingredients go, you can substitute the cocoa with chocolate if you prefer. If you add a tablespoon of corn syrup or honey, it will discourage crystallization. You can add a little chocolate with the butter if you enjoy both cocoa and chocolate flavors together. For those of you who like to play with your food, substituting different sugars might be fun as well as other fats other than butter. Vanilla is usually alcohol based, and so adding another spirit is fun too.
From what I understand, fudge is an American confection; however, Britain has their clotted cream fudge, and France has caramel chocolate candies, which share similar science. This French connection seems possible as the story goes that a recipe for caramels was 鈥渇udged,鈥 or a mistake was made, and fudge was born.
For me, fudge will always bring me a good bit of joy and fond remembrance of childhood holidays and one of the grandmothers who instilled in me my deep love of cooking.
Traditional fudge
Ingredients
3 cups sugar
1 陆 cups milk
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Combine sugar, milk, cocoa and salt in a heavy bottomed pan. With a spoon, stir to combine.
Bring to a boil over medium heat without any stirring. Cook to 240-245 degrees.
Add butter and vanilla; DO NOT STIR. Let cool until 130 degrees.
Stir by hand until it starts to lose its shine. Optionally, place in a mixer fitted with a paddle, and beat on medium low.
Quickly place into a pan lined with parchment, and press flat. Let cool completely. Slice into small squares, and enjoy!
汤头条app
Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through 汤头条app Community Education.
Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.