Fudge

Why buy fudge when it’s so much better home-made? This basic recipe couldn’t be more easy and quick and makes a perfect gift for birthdays or other special occasions should you need one for someone with a sweet tooth.

Ingredients

• 1¾ ounces / 50g of butter
• 10½ ounces / 300g of caster sugar
• 1¾ ounces / 50g of golden syrup
• 5¾ fluid ounces / 170g of evaporated milk
• 1 pinch of salt

Method

Line a 6-inch / 16cm square tin with baking paper.

Combine all the ingredients in a large heavy-based saucepan.

Heat gently until the butter has melted, then increase the heat.

Stir constantly to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan until it reaches 114°-115°C / 237°-239°F on a sugar thermometer.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to cool to 43°-45°C / 109°-113ºF.

Then, beat the fudge for approximately 5 minutes using a wooden spoon until it loses its glossy shine.

Pour the fudge mixture into the tin and place in the fridge for an hour or so to set.

Cut into suitably sized square pieces around ¾ of an inch / 2cm.

Tips

The main thing to watch with fudge (as with all boiled confectionary) is hitting the right temperatures at the various stages of the process. If you let this get up to 118°C / 244°F then it will become too brittle and won’t have the soft texture you want with fudge. And likewise, if you beat the fudge before it has cooled down enough, it become too crumbly and crystalline, almost crumbling back to sugar. Using a good sugar thermometer and keeping a close eye on the readings is vital if you want the perfect consistency.

Trivia

The American composer and songwriter Cole Porter (1891 – 1964) was a great devotee of fudge. Born into a wealthy family where fudge was readily available, for the rest of his life he had nine pounds shipped out to him every month from his home town of Peru, Indiana.