Fine Cooking Fudge
Results are in! The fudge recipe from December’s Fine Cooking is a winner!
I had a few issues which arose from trying to halve the recipe, but once I got the adjusted half-batch boiling times and temps right, I had the perfect fudge. The texture was creamy, but had the flakiness you’d expect from good fudge. It was better the second day and will probably be even better on the third. I should know because I’ve been eating fudge all week long and it just gets better — which is not to say the same for my blood sugar. That’s the price you pay for good fudge.
One last thing. Aside from being awesome, this fudge is also pretty inexpensive to make The 4 oz of unsweetened chocolate goes a long way, and those of you worried about it not being chocolaty enough will probably be satisfied. It is sweet, but not any sweeter than Fantasy Fudge or just about any of the other fudge recipes I’ve tried. Still, I think the Rocky Road version will be even better because the nuts will offset the sugar.
Congratulations! I think I’ll wait till close to Christmas to make it.
What brand of unsweetened chocolate do you like to use?
Cindy, I think you should make it today
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Laura, I’ve been using Ghirardelli 100% chocolate lately — the type that comes in a 10 oz bag and costs about $3.99.
Hi Anna, that does look good! Would you be able to elaborate on the boiling times and temps you used for a half batch? I would be interested to try a smaller batch. THanks!
That looks good. I will definitely have to give it a try!! Thanks for the review!
Alyssa, sure! I didn’t want to go into it and make it more confusing for people who were planning to make the full batch, but the half batch does require adjustments.
Your best bet is to take a look at Alton Brown’s fudge recipe because the boil times for a half batch of this are more in line with his.
Here’s how I did it, and this was in an anodized aluminum saucepan rather than stainless steel. I kept overcooking it in my All-Clad and had better luck with different type metal.
1. I heated the sugar, cream, chocolate, salt and corn syrup over a medium low heat, stirring constantly, until they came to a good boil. If your mixture doesn’t come to a boil over medium-low, up the temp to medium. Not all stoves have the same setting, but for a half batch it’s best to start lower (or at least in my experience!). This will also vary based on what saucepan you use — just don’t rush it.
2. When the mixture comes to a good boil, reduce the heat and cover the pot so that it is still gently boiling. Keep it covered for about two minutes. Remove the cover and immediately insert the thermometer.
3. At this point, do not stir at all. Watch the thermometer rise slowly and steadily (up the heat if it stops for too long) until it hits 234. Remove from heat, add the butter, and let it stand for about 45 minutes or until the temp drops to 110.
4. Beat with the mixture (don’t scrape sides of pot) for about 7 minutes or until mixture starts leaving little trails wherein you can see the bottom of the pan.
My fudge didn’t really go from shiny to matte. The only signal I had that it was ready to pour was the fact I could see little tracks being made (as advised by FC).
If you use a non-stick coated saucepan and don’t want to use your hand-mixer for fear of damaging the coating, after the fudge hits 110 you can carefully transfer it (again, don’t scrape sides) to a rubber mixing bowl and mix away!
The half batch doesn’t make very much fudge at all. It should cover the surface area of a loaf pan.
Also, this fudge takes a while to set. Mine was soft when I poured it in the pan and seemed set after about an hour.
Thank you so much for all the fudge reviews! I am going to make fudge for our mailman this year (going to start a tradition – my mom always did it for our mailman and garbage man in our small town at the holidays when I was little, but our garbage man always is changing, so I chose the mailman only), and I didn’t know which to pick.
Thank you!
Yeah for FC! Glad it worked so well.
Did you allow it to firm up overnight before you cut it?
I thought it was a brownie! That does look like a perfect piece of fudge, very shiny!!!
:drool: This looks TOO good! For fudgy goodness like this recipe, I am willing to invest in a candy thermometer.
Okay, I’m going to try it as soon as I find my candy thermometer! I see a possible trip to Sur la Table this weekend!
Looks fantastic. I might even try it this week-end (which is a bad idea because I will be alone. In the kitchen. With fudge… )
Yummy. I can’t wait to try the fudge. Any suggestions on how to cut sweetness without nuts? My little one is allergic to all tree nuts. He can have peanuts though.
Lu, I’m glad you asked. When I think of rocky road, I think of almonds and marshmallows, but sometimes I see rocky road made with peanuts. So you could throw in a handful of peanuts and marshmallows. Of course if I used peanuts I would re-name it “tin roof”.
Hi Anna, Do you think it would be OK that once it hits 234 degrees to immediately transfer to a mixing bowl so it can be beaten with a stand, rather than a hand, mixer?
Thanks for the review! I wanted to make this recipe as soon as I saw it- excited to see that it lives up to the billing. Can’t wait to try it for the holidays. Or sooner.
Thanks Anna for the detailed tips and instructions… definitely a great help (and confidence booster) for a first time fudge maker!
Wow! We are mighty proud. Thanks so much for spreading the sweetness of Fine Cooking:)
Linda, the only problem with that when it hits 234 degrees, you’re supposed to keep it still and not stir it at all. So I think moving it from the pot to the mixing bowl might disturb the fudge. However, you should be able to move it once it cools to 110. Mine was still pourable at this point (like a really, thick fudge sauce) and I was able to transfer it to a rubber mixing bowl. So I don’t see why you couldn’t carefully transfer it to a stand mixer. Just don’t scrape the sides of the bowl. They say it’s okay to scrape the bottom, but not the sides.