![]() ![]() Problem is, the word “fudge” has been sullied and now is awarded to confections which include microwaving chocolate and condensed milk together then leaving it to set, or doing the same in the slow cooker or adding a few extra bits like butter and more sugar on the hob. If you have ever Googled or rooted around Pinterest looking at glorious images of fudge of every possible flavour, with additions such as chocolate, crumbled cookies, marshmallows, fruit, nuts you name it, the combinations have been well documented. Fatal mistake, there is no such thing as onlyone more chunk of fudge… ![]() I want my fudge to melt in the mouth like butter, but have more substance – it should be creamy, rich and make you groan with pleasure as you eat just one more chunk. Problem is, if flaky, crumbly textures make your teeth itch like mine, then you are going to be disappointed in the extreme! There are plenty of recipes out there for tablet and many, many lovers of the stuff but for me, the perfect fudge is soft and luscious, without a grain in sight. Tablet is a Scottish confection which uses double the quantity of sugar that fudge does but otherwise, the method is often very similar. I’m sure I’m not the only one to have made that mistake when searching for the magic method to deliver creamy fudginess so let me explain. One thing to be clear about from the start is this is fudge, not tablet. It’s taken a lot of time and a lot of flaky, grainy, unpalatable batches of supposed fudge to find the winning recipe. It will last for 4-6 weeks if stored in an airtight container in the fridge, but it’s best to leave to sit to room temperature before eating.Proper, traditional, soft & creamy real vanilla fudge. Fudge will keep well for 2-3 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.This should dissolve most of the fudge residue and save you from some scrubbing. The easiest way to clean your pot after cooking is to fill it with enough water to come above any fudge mixture stuck to the sides, then bring pot of water to the boil.To avoid mixture burning, you need to constantly mix, so set aside some time to make fudge when you can focus on it completely. Remember, working with heated sugar can be dangerous, so be careful to never touch the mixture at any stage, always use a heat resistant spoon or spatula.You can get between 32 large and 64 smaller squares. Once completely cooled, carefully remove fudge from the tin and use a sharp knife to cut into squares. Place fudge on a cooling rack and leave to cool for 1-2 hours. ![]() If you like, you can decorate the top with sprinkles, though you will need to gently press them into the fudge with the back of a spoon as the fudge mixture won’t be sticky. Quickly pour mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top out with a spatula or back of a large spoon. ![]() At the end of beating, it should be the texture of smooth peanut butter. Now beat mixture in the pot with an electric mixer for 5 minutes.The mixture may hiss a bit and bubble up slightly, this is normal. As soon as it is the right colour and texture, stir in the vanilla.If using a candy thermometer, it will read between 110☌-115☌. It can take between 12-20 minutes to reach this stage. If it’s too soft, return to heat and cook longer. It should be firm but squishy, this is known as “soft-ball” stage. Remove pot from heat and drop a bit into the cold water. As soon as it starts boiling, lower heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring all the time, until it turns a golden caramel colour. This can take 15-20 minutes or longer depending on the size of the pot. Put heat to medium high and stir ingredients constantly until it starts to boil.It will also be quicker to cook if there is more surface area for heating. The mixture will bubble up as it heats so it’s best to use a larger pot than you think is necessary. Place all of the ingredients, except the vanilla, into a very large heavy bottomed pot.Line a 30cm x 20cm (12 x 8 inch) tin with parchment paper. Fill a small bowl with cold water and place it next to the stove. ![]()
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