Beaten down by Fudge.....

ladybug you are too funny! Believe it or not, she and I have already commiserated on the subject and I admitted to God and everyone – I’m not fudge worthy! I can’t make a batch of it to save my life. There’s something about the tempering of the stuff that I just can’t figure out. Mine always comes out really grainy.

so, the search goes on!

Ok, here’s what I found out. I looked at the foodnetwork site and this is Paula Deans recipe

3 C sugar
4 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
3 T light corn syrup
1 C evaporated milk
6 T butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Butter a dish, I’m guessing 8X8 but she didn’t say.

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar and cocoa together. Add the syrup and milk and cook over medium heat until it reaches 234–240 degrees on a candy thermometer, soft ball stage. Remove from the heat, add butter and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer or by hand, quickly as it sets up quick. Pour or spread into buttered dish. Cool and cut into squares.

Now, I make handmade caramel which is a crystalline sugar confection like fudge. I think the grainy texture comes from sugar molecules not dissolving completely and it re seeds the fudge. The corn syrup should help with this and keep it smooth. I don’t use corn syrup so I have to rub the sugar with lemon juice before I cook the caramel to prevent crystallization. The evaporated milk just prevents having to cook the water out of the milk and shortens the overall cooking time. If we don’t find a better recipe than this one, I’ll make it in the next couple of days and see how it turns out.

Good luck!
Cynthia

That looks like a yummy recipe.  I will have to try that for  Christmas time.

Thank you maryclark! I’m going to make perfect fudge if it kills me! I will not be defeated. However, if nothing comes of it I will have LOTS of bowls to lick! Anyone with me?!

There is a fool proof recipe that includes cream cheese. I’ll have to see if I can dig it up. I found this post funny because my 13yo daughter insisted on trying fudge – yet again – for a party we are going to tomorrow. She has decided that she isn’t fudge worthy either. I can make divinity, but never have been good at fudge or my Aunt Aggie’s caramel icing that was simply to die for.

I can’t find my Tea Time….I’ll check when I get to my niece’s house on Hilton Head and see if she has  the Tea Time to get that easy fudge recipe.

I can see some serious weight gain if I try these recipes.

Thank you for helping out. As you can see, we‘re determined to find a good fudge recipe!

Ok, Ingrid, go to it!

I’ll contribute all I can.

I’ve been working with very challenging chocolate since 9:00 this morning. I’m looking at a pile of boxes of truffles. They‘re going to be gone by 10:00 tomorrow morning and I’ve got to start all over again.

So, you are officially dubbed the fudge queen!

I’m chocolate’d out right about now!

Love to all
I’m going to bed
Cynthia

Cynthia,
I don't know how you can work with chocolate all the time and still keep your figure. Chocolate is my one weakness, my vice. I have gotten lots better since I got my hormones balanced out, but I used to crave chocolate for at least one week out of every four. :) One of my weight loss nutritional supplements has the same chemical in it that chocolate has (theobromine ) I think that has helped me tremendously, but sometimes I can't resist.
We have a cute little children's book called Frog And Toad. There is one story that talks about what it means to have self control. Frog says that for him self control means feeding the cookies to the birds so he won't eat anymore. Toad responds that he'll just go bake a cake. For me self control is not having it around to tempt me. I used to keep chocolate chips in the freezer just so I could eat a few when I needed chocolate. My little folks starting following suite - so now I just don't keep sweets in the house. I could never have self control if I was in your shoes. My hat is off to you! :)