In Fudge 101wecovered a brief introduction of what is fudge, the ingredients of fudge, and the technique of making fudge. Fudge 102 is aimed at the newbie who is going to try their hand at making fudge. Now it’s getting exciting.
How long does it take to make fudge:
- about 18 min to reach boiling
- about 40 minutes to reach soft ball stage
- 60 minutes to cool
- 28 minutes to beat in a KitchenAid (your time for this may vary)
- 4 hours to set
Tips for the fudge newb:
Check the weather. If it’s humid don’t make fudge today.
You don’tneeda candy thermometer, but the ball stage is difficult for a newb to judge correctly, and the window of time between under-cooked and over-cooked is razor-thin. Save yourself the tears and get a good, digital candy thermometer. I havethis Taylor thermometerwhich is available onAmazon.comfor $22., I picked mine up at the St. Lawrence Market and also use it for tempering chocolate.
Get everything ready before you turn on the stove. Line your pan with foil and grease it. Completely grease the pot you’ll cook the sugar in, right up to the edge. Grease the wooden spoon or beater blade.
Have a jug of cold water in the fridge, and a larger pan set on the counter to be the water bath.
Read your recipe thoroughly, make sure you understand when to stir and when not to. Understand at what point you add any extras like nuts or fruit (typically right before it’s ready to be poured into the pan).
Beware the recipe that tells you to chill the fudge to ensure it sets. Proper fudge will set after sitting at room temperature for about 4 hours.
Understand that cooking the fudge properly is the skirmish before the war. The real test of your mettle will occur when you beat the fudge, and learn to master the fine art of turning and pouring. And if it doesn’t work out it’s okay! Don’t give up.
What works for one person…
- some recipes insist on cream, others use milk
- some add the butter at the beginning, others add it when the vanilla is added
- some people use a wet pastry brush to wipe away sugar crystals
- some people only beat by hand, others use a hand mixer or stand mixer
Personally, I use 2% milk, becauseevery timeI made fudge with cream it failed. I add the butter at the beginning, and beat it using my KitchenAid. My fudge never turned out until I started using a water bath, and I am still mastering when to stop beating it.
Equipment:
- digital candy thermometer, remember to calibrate it
- heavy-bottom sauce pot, ideally with straight sides so you can clip thermometer onto it
- sturdy wooden spoons (avoid metal which conducts the insane heat right into your skin)
- hand mixer or stand mixer (unless you’re a masoch*st and you actually want to beat fudge by hand, in which case have at it)
- 8″ square pan + one bigger pan to serve asthe cold water bath
- tin foil
OK! I’m ready to get fudging!
Just one more thing! I talked earlier about when the thermometer hits “soft ball” (235°F to 240°F, or 112.78°C to 115.55°C) you should remove the pot from the heat immediately and place it in a cold water bath.
Not all fudge-makers use a cold bath, but I recommend it for this reason: supersaturated sugar is so hot, it continues to cook after you remove it from the heat (like taking something out of the microwave, it keeps getting hotter). If you are removing the fudge from the stove at the top of the soft ball range, which is no higher than240°F or 116°C , your fudge willcook itselfright past the optimum temperature and no wonder it’s not going to set.
Once it starts creeping up to the ideal range, I watch it like a hawk, and as soon as it’saboutto hit soft ball (it’s one or two tenths of a degree away), I take it off the stove and set it in the water bath pan. As soon as the temperature peaks I add the cold water so that way it can’t get past soft ball. Thetemperature will begin to drop and now you can’t exceed the soft ball stage. Make sense?
Let the pot sit undisturbed between 30-60 minutes, until temperature drops to 100°F or 37.77°C. Some people say you don’t need to go this low, but I’ve started aiming for this temperature after reading how cooler sugar crystals stay smaller (to avoid grainy fudge).
Then, andonly then, are you ready for the final confrontation.
FAQs
It should form a soft ball that can easily flatten between your fingers. Repeat this test every two minutes, each time using a clean spoon, until the fudge has the desired consistency.
What to do if you forgot to beat fudge? ›
If you forget to beat the fudge, try heating it back up over low heat, then beat it once it's slightly softened. If you beat the fudge too soon, the crystals will be too large, and the fudge will be grainy.
What happens if you beat fudge too soon? ›
Sugar Crystals Formed
It's important to beat the fudge ingredients to develop the right texture, but you won't get smooth, creamy fudge if you beat it when it's too hot. Beating fudge when it's still over heat creates sugar crystals, aka the grittiness you feel in the fudge.
Can I use a mixer to beat fudge? ›
While beating by hand is the traditional method, you can use an electric mixer if you have one. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and turn it on medium. Beat it just until it starts to thicken and lose its gloss. It is easy to overbeat fudge with a mixer, so watch it carefully and check it after every minute.
When should I start beating fudge? ›
While you shouldn't mix the fudge mixture when it's hot, you should beat the mixture once it has been removed from the heat and cooled. Once again, turn to your candy thermometer. When the mixture has cooled to 110ºF (but not a moment before), it's time to pick up a wooden spoon and begin stirring.
What to do with failed fudge? ›
Options for what you can do with your unset fudge:
OPTION 1) Depending on how runny it is, you can either use it as a frosting for cakes, or a sauce for ice-cream. OPTION 2) Freeze it overnight. Cut it into squares. Cover each square thickly in melted chocolate, ensuring no part of the fudge is exposed.
How to fix fudge that won't set? ›
How can you fix soft fudge? Put it in a microwave safe bowl that is large enough that it won't boil over. Reheat it to the boiling point and cook for about 3 more minutes. Then you can beat some powdered sugar into it if this doesn't make it set.
Why won't my 3 ingredient condensed milk fudge set? ›
Why won't my 3 ingredient fudge set? This often happens when the condensed milk and chocolate chip mixture isn't hot enough to start. Everything must be completely melted before it is transferred to the pan to cool.
What should fudge look like after beating? ›
The fudge is then beaten as this makes the fudge slightly crumbly rather than chewy. Beating the mixture encourages the formation of small sugar crystals, which leads to the crumbly texture. The crystals may not be noticeable in themselves but the fudge mixture will thicken and turn from shiny to matte in appearance.
Why did my fudge turn out like taffy? ›
If the temperature is too low, the fudge will be too soft and sticky, and if it's too high, it will turn into a hard, crumbly mess. The ideal temperature to cook fudge is between 232-234 degrees F (111-112 degrees C).
Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 234 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes. The mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over the entire surface. While the fudge is cooking, prepare the baking pan.
How do you know when fudge is set? ›
You know it's ready when a small amount of the mixture dropped into a glass of cold water sets into a soft ball that you can lift out with a teaspoon and pinch between your fingers. Turn off the heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes or until the mix starts to thicken a little.
What should you not do when making fudge? ›
7 Common Mistakes to Avoid for Candy Shop-Worthy Fudge and Caramels
- Using the Wrong Pan. All candy and confections start by melting sugar. ...
- Stirring the Sugar. ...
- Not Using a Candy Thermometer. ...
- Leaving Out the Parchment Paper Lining. ...
- Skipping the Cooking Spray. ...
- Scraping the Pot. ...
- Using a Cold Knife to Slice.
Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.
How to cut fudge so it doesn't crumble? ›
Put both knives into a large measuring cup, add boiling water onto the knives, and before cutting the chocolate or the dessert into pieces, wipe the knife with a towel. The warm knife will easily cut through without cracking.
How do you know when fudge is at the soft ball stage? ›
According to most recipes, the ingredients of fudge are cooked to what is termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers.
What should the consistency of fudge be? ›
You know it's ready when a small amount of the mixture dropped into a glass of cold water sets into a soft ball that you can lift out with a teaspoon and pinch between your fingers. Turn off the heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes or until the mix starts to thicken a little.
Should you stir fudge while it's boiling? ›
You should mix the cream, butter, and sugar when making your fudge, but put down the spoon once it has reached its boiling point. Stirring while your sugar mixture is boiling will only form sugar crystals and make your fudge crunchy rather than silky smooth.
