How to make decadent fudge?

Hi Steve,
give this one a go - it really is rich, delicious, velvety smooth...
AND addictive!

made a batch up a few months ago - daughter and a friend of mine stood
guard in the kitchen watching the progress. Hmmm. Oddly enough, when my
back was turned, about half the mixture mysteriously disappeared!

BOTH femmes present were ordered an 'open mouth' inspection. Both
guilty as hell! hehehe. It really is THAT good - one just can NOT wait
for it to chill.

Truly Decadent Chocolate Mint Fudge
500g dark chocolate - only the best couverture if you can afford it,
although results with Nestlé variety are pretty outstanding as well.
400g sweetened condensed milk
60g butter
peppermint essence (to taste)
100g milk chocolate - melted
Into a 19cm x 29cm swiss roll pan, place strip of aluminium foil or
heavy baking paper to cover the base and sides.
If you don't have a double boiler, place a medium sized saucepan, 1/3
filled with cold water, over heat and bring to the boil. Place
stainless steel bowl on top - do NOT allow bottom of ss bowl to touch
the boiling water or the chocolate will sieze. Reduce heat to lowest
setting.
Place dark chocolate, condensed milk and butter into ss bowl and heat
until melted.
(If you can't be bothered with the 'double-boiler' method a microwave
is great for this - but watch the mixture as it can burn very easily.)
Add peppermint essence a drop at a time.Test the taste after addition
(the fun part!!). As the mixture cools the flavour will become stronger
so don't overdo it!
Beat until thick and creamy.
Spread evenly into prepared pan, cover and refrigerate until set.

Cut into triangles - approx 5cm x 2cm - and decorate (I like a fleur de
lis type pattern - two small ovals either side of a much larger oval)
with piped, melted, milk chocolate.
DO NOT FREEZE
Will keep for one month in refrigerator in a covered container.

Exceedingly delicious!

LadyJane
--
"Never trust a skinny cook!"

On Fri 31 Mar 2006 09:43:34p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Steve
Wertz?

Quoted message said:

The fudge you buy at the specialty candy stores is always so much
more sweet and rich than anything I've been able to duplicate at
home. What's the secret(s)?

I've tried heavy cream, light cream, evaporated milk, butter, etc,
but have never been able to make a really good, commercial quality
fudge. I just made some chocolate peanut butter fudge
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_18189,00.html
using heavy cream instead of milk (was out of milk), and while
it's fairly passable, it's not quite 100%.

I should have used 1/4 brown sugar and 3/4 regular for this
recipe, but that wasn't the whole problem, I'm sure. I'm not fond
of brown sugar as I think it's kinda heavy tasting in most
candy-making.

-sw

Part of your problem, Steve, may be using cocoa. Try these recipes. I
think they're rather good.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/chocolatefudge.html

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

Steve Wertz said:

The fudge you buy at the specialty candy stores is always so much
more sweet and rich than anything I've been able to duplicate at
home. What's the secret(s)?

I've tried heavy cream, light cream, evaporated milk, butter, etc,
but have never been able to make a really good, commercial quality
fudge.

Old Fashioned Fudge
(Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 squares (2 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts

Butter sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. In it, combine sugar, milk,
chocolate, corn syrup, and dash salt. Cook and stir over medium heat
until sugar disolves and mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking to
234ºF (soft-ball stage), stirring only as needed to prevent sticking
(mixture should boil gently over entire surface) Immediately remove from
heat; add butter but do not stir. Cool, without stirring to lukewarm
(110ºF), for 30 to 40 minutes. Add vanilla and nuts. Beat vigorously
for 7 to 10 minutes or until fudge becomes very thick and loses its gloss.

Immediately spread into a buttered 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Score into
squares while warm; cut when firm. Makes about 1 1/4 pounds.

--
Best regards,
Bob

On 1 Apr 2006 07:25:41 +0200, Wayne Boatwright

wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com said:

Part of your problem, Steve, may be using cocoa. Try these recipes. I
think they're rather good.

That was just one of many recipes I'vce tried and the only one
using cocoa. But I can see how the cocoa butter would be a step
up from plain 'ol cocoa.

-sw

On Fri, 31 Mar 2006 23:29:39 -0600, zxcvbob <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Old Fashioned Fudge
(Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 squares (2 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts

I appreciate you posting the recipe, but... . I've tried a very
similar (if not the exact same) recipe and it's good, but not like
the commercial fudge.

This particular method sometimes comes out grainy. I seem to have
better success not waiting until it reaches 110 to finish it off.

-sw

LadyJane said:

Hi Steve,
give this one a go - it really is rich, delicious, velvety smooth...
AND addictive!

This is different than most recipes I've tried so I'll give it a
shot. Thanks.

I should mention those terrible Alton Brown "fudge" recipes while
I'm here. Melt butter and corn syrup, and mix in a ton of
powdered sugar - presto: "Fudge". Eeek. No thanks.

-sw

Steve Wertz said:

I should mention those terrible Alton Brown "fudge" recipes while
I'm here. Melt butter and corn syrup, and mix in a ton of
powdered sugar - presto: "Fudge". Eeek. No thanks.

Huh? That wasn't his recipe:

2 3/4 cups sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped, roasted nuts, optional

Grease an 8 by 8-inch pan with butter. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan,
combine the sugar, chocolate, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter,
half-and-half, and corn syrup. Over medium heat, stir with a wooden
spoon until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Increase heat
and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for 3
minutes. Remove the cover and attach a candy thermometer to the pot.
Cook until the thermometer reads 234 degrees F. Remove from the heat
and add the remaining butter. Do not stir. Let the mixture cool for 10
minutes or until it drops to 130 degrees F. Add vanilla and nuts, if
desired, and mix until well-blended and the shiny texture becomes
matte. Pour into the prepared pan. Let sit in cool dry area until firm.
Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a
week.

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

What about Caramel Fudge. Do any of you have a good recipe for that?

Jen

On Fri 31 Mar 2006 11:07:32p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Jen?

Quoted message said:

What about Caramel Fudge. Do any of you have a good recipe for that?

Jen

Abby's Famous Penuche Fudge

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup light cream
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnut pieces

Butter a 9-inch square baking dish. Butter the sides of a heavy 2-quart
saucepan.

Combine sugars, cream, milk and butter in saucepan. Cook over medium heat,
stirring constantly, until sugars dissolve and mixture comes to a boil.
Cook to soft-ball stage (238 degrees F on candy thermometer), stirring only
if necessary. Immediately remove from heat and cool to lukewarm (110
degrees F). DO NOT STIR.

Add vanilla extract and beat vigorously until mixture is very thick and
starts to lose its gloss. Quickly stir in nuts and spread into prepared
baking dish. Score while warm, and cut when firm.

Makes 3 dozen 1 1/2-inch squares.

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri 31 Mar 2006 11:07:32p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Jen?

Quoted message said:

What about Caramel Fudge. Do any of you have a good recipe for that?

Jen

Abby's Famous Penuche Fudge

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup light cream
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnut pieces

Sounds great! Thanks Wayne.

Jen

Steve Wertz said:

This particular method sometimes comes out grainy.

Then you are not doing it right

On Fri 31 Mar 2006 11:48:49p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Jen?

Quoted message said:

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Fri 31 Mar 2006 11:07:32p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Jen?

Quoted message said:

What about Caramel Fudge. Do any of you have a good recipe for that?

Jen

Abby's Famous Penuche Fudge

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup light cream
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup walnut pieces

Sounds great! Thanks Wayne.

Jen

You're welcome! Enjoy!

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

Default User said:

Steve Wertz said:

I should mention those terrible Alton Brown "fudge" recipes while
I'm here. Melt butter and corn syrup, and mix in a ton of
powdered sugar - presto: "Fudge". Eeek. No thanks.

Huh? That wasn't his recipe:

Yes, it is: (Okay, so no corn syrup, just butter and PS).
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30177,00.html

But you're probably right - none of those 12 fudge recipes
attributed to AB are really his anyway.

-sw

Denise~* said:

Steve Wertz said:

This particular method sometimes comes out grainy.

Then you are not doing it right

Uh, I know how to follow recipes, thank you. My mothers version
comes out even worse.

-sw

"Steve Wertz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The fudge you buy at the specialty candy stores is always so much
more sweet and rich than anything I've been able to duplicate at
home. What's the secret(s)?

I've tried heavy cream, light cream, evaporated milk, butter, etc,
but have never been able to make a really good, commercial quality
fudge. I just made some chocolate peanut butter fudge
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_18189,00.html
using heavy cream instead of milk (was out of milk), and while
it's fairly passable, it's not quite 100%.

I should have used 1/4 brown sugar and 3/4 regular for this
recipe, but that wasn't the whole problem, I'm sure. I'm not fond
of brown sugar as I think it's kinda heavy tasting in most
candy-making.

-sw

This is a great UK version of fudge, we don't have chocolate in ours unless
it is chocolate fudge! (taken from UKTV food web site)
Clodagh McKenna's easy-to-make creamy vanilla fudge makes a treat to tempt a
sweet tooth at anytime

Servings: makes 36-48 squares
Level of difficulty: Easy
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
100ml Milk
100ml double cream
350g caster sugar
80g butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1. Lightly butter a shallow baking dish.

2. Pour the milk and cream into a heavy-based saucepan, add the sugar and
butter and bring the mixture to a boil over a medium heat.

3. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring continuously, until
the mixture registers 115C on a sugar thermometer (this is called the soft
ball stage).

4. Stir in the vanilla extract; remove from the heat and leave to cool.

5. Beat the mixture with a whisk until thick, before pouring into the
prepared dish to set. Cut into squares to serve.

Sarah

Steve Wertz said:

The fudge you buy at the specialty candy stores is always so much
more sweet and rich than anything I've been able to duplicate at
home. What's the secret(s)?

I've tried heavy cream, light cream, evaporated milk, butter, etc,
but have never been able to make a really good, commercial quality
fudge. I just made some chocolate peanut butter fudge
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_18189,00.html
using heavy cream instead of milk (was out of milk), and while
it's fairly passable, it's not quite 100%.

I should have used 1/4 brown sugar and 3/4 regular for this
recipe, but that wasn't the whole problem, I'm sure. I'm not fond
of brown sugar as I think it's kinda heavy tasting in most
candy-making.

I have always used the dark chocolate fudge recipe from the Joy of
cooking with good results. It works like most "standard" fudge
recipes, so I will abreviate the directions:

Combine and bring to a boil:
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp salt.

Stir in until melted
6 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (use good chocolate
here...)

Cook until softball stage. Remove from heat, add:

2 TBS butter
1 tsp vanilla.

Cool, work until it loses it sheen. Stir in up to 1.5 cups chopped
walnuts, put in 8 inch by 8 inch foil lined pan.

I think a differnce between this recipe and others is the amount of
chocolate - this has a lot, and it ends up being very chocolatly, which
is good in my opinion. Don't skimp on the chocolate - use something
decent.

Later,
Mark Muller

On Sat 01 Apr 2006 08:45:35a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Sarah?

Quoted message said:

"Steve Wertz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The fudge you buy at the specialty candy stores is always so much
more sweet and rich than anything I've been able to duplicate at
home. What's the secret(s)?

I've tried heavy cream, light cream, evaporated milk, butter, etc, but
have never been able to make a really good, commercial quality fudge.
I just made some chocolate peanut butter fudge
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_18189,00.ht
ml using heavy cream instead of milk (was out of milk), and while
it's fairly passable, it's not quite 100%.

I should have used 1/4 brown sugar and 3/4 regular for this
recipe, but that wasn't the whole problem, I'm sure. I'm not fond
of brown sugar as I think it's kinda heavy tasting in most
candy-making.

-sw

This is a great UK version of fudge, we don't have chocolate in ours
unless it is chocolate fudge! (taken from UKTV food web site)
Clodagh McKenna's easy-to-make creamy vanilla fudge makes a treat to
tempt a sweet tooth at anytime

Servings: makes 36-48 squares
Level of difficulty: Easy
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
100ml Milk
100ml double cream
350g caster sugar
80g butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1. Lightly butter a shallow baking dish.

2. Pour the milk and cream into a heavy-based saucepan, add the sugar
and butter and bring the mixture to a boil over a medium heat.

3. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring continuously,
until the mixture registers 115C on a sugar thermometer (this is called
the soft ball stage).

4. Stir in the vanilla extract; remove from the heat and leave to cool.

5. Beat the mixture with a whisk until thick, before pouring into the
prepared dish to set. Cut into squares to serve.

Sarah

Umm, that sounds simple and delicious! Might I suggest to US cooks, since
we don't have double cream, that they use half heavy cream and half "half
and half". I think the total butterfat would be closer to the original.

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

Steve Wertz said:

Default User said:

Steve Wertz said:

I should mention those terrible Alton Brown "fudge" recipes while
I'm here. Melt butter and corn syrup, and mix in a ton of
powdered sugar - presto: "Fudge". Eeek. No thanks.

Huh? That wasn't his recipe:

Yes, it is: (Okay, so no corn syrup, just butter and PS).
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30177,00.h
tml

Oh, that's a misrepresentation. What you show was a quick peanutbutter
microwave recipe he did at the end of the episode. The one I showed was
the main recipe he did, and was bog standard for fudge. How you could
watch the show and come away thinking the recipe you show was
representative, I can't fathom.

Quoted message said:

But you're probably right - none of those 12 fudge recipes
attributed to AB are really his anyway.

Probably. So?

Brian
--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

Default User said:

Steve Wertz wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Yes, it is: (Okay, so no corn syrup, just butter and PS).
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30177,00.h
tml

Oh, that's a misrepresentation. What you show was a quick peanutbutter
microwave recipe he did at the end of the episode. The one I showed was
the main recipe he did, and was bog standard for fudge. How you could
watch the show and come away thinking the recipe you show was
representative, I can't fathom.

I did *see* a show, I just looked for recipes, and that indeed,
was one of them.

Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed today.

-sw