cookbook by Gale GandNever tried to make fudge before - the whole candy thermometer/soft-ball stage thing was intimidating. But the kids wanted to make fudge so I used this simple recipe (without the walnuts). Turned out pretty good.
Ingredients
- 4 oz chopped unsweetened chocolate
- 1¼ cups milk
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)
- Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, stir the chocolate and milk over low heat until the chocolate is melted. Add the sugar, corn syrup, and salt, hook a candy thermometer onto the pot, and cook the misture to the soft-ball stage (235°F). Add the butter, then scrape the mixture into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment*.
- Beat on medium speed until the mixture begins to lighten in color, 3 to 6 minutes, adding the vanilla in the first minute. Add the nuts and continue beating on low speed until the fudge loses its gloss and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour into the prepared pan, spreading it out evenly, preferable with an offset spatula. Let cool completely before cutting into 1-inch squares. The recipes says makes 80 pieces, but who actually cuts pieces that small for fudge?
Alternative recipe ingredients:
- 1/4 lb. unsweetened chocolate
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 1/2 Tbsp corn syrup
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
