I couldn’t resist trying (and note, trying doesn’t mean I succeeded) making chocolate fudge. Betting I last made it more than 25 years ago when my kids were little. Now I know why I haven’t made it since. What did I learn? It takes time to bring fudge to a soft boil stage without burning the chocolate – like 15 minutes! And beating should be done by hand, not by a electric mixer. Trust me on this last one, fudge went from glossy to dull in minutes.
Still want to try your hand at this perennial favorite? This recipe is from the C and H Sugar Complete Dessert Cookbook (1981). The book is still available on used book sites.
Chocolate Fudge
3 cups powdered sugar
1¼ cups milk
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate or ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons corn syrup
¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups coarsely chopped nuts (optional)
Grease 9-inch square pan. Combine sugar, milk, chocolate and corn syrup in 3-quart heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat until chocolate melts and sugar dissolves. Wash down any crystals on sides of pan with brush dipped in cold water. Boil to 236 degrees on candy thermometer (soft ball stage). Remove from heat; add butter and mix by swirling pan, not by stirring. Set aside until lukewarm (110 degrees). Add vanilla and beat 10 to 15 minutes until candy thickens and begins to lose its gloss. Quickly stir in nuts and spread in pan. Cut when set.
Note: Bless my husband, he thought the fudge was a winner! Personally, next time I get a craving, I’ll head to the next tourist site and buy some!
connieiscooking 
Leave a Reply