Fudge recipes-
Discussion
I've spent a reasonable amount of time playing around making fudge, successfully and unsuccessfully, and what very few recipes will outright tell you (perhaps out of fear of introducing actual SCIENCE into the mix) is that the texture is all down to what happens right at the very end of cooking.
Firstly, sugar thermometer helps a lot. Getting it to the right temperature is key - I usually cook until I've got a reasonably even 116 degrees C throughout the pan, this will involve a fair amount of stirring in the final stages to avoid burnt spots.
Then, when it's reached this, take it off the heat and let it cool in the pan. Do nothing while this happens. This is where the thermometer really comes in handy - you want to let the fudge cool to about 55 degrees C. Loads of recipes that I've seen omit this step, but I've found it's critical.
What you are waiting for is the sugar to, undisturbed, start to crystallise. This will give that sort of crumbly texture to the fudge, and more importantly means you actually get something that's solid. But also you need to be aware that the longer the sugar is left alone, the larger those crystals will get; ignore it completely and you'll end up with unpleasantly grainy, brittle fudge.
As mentioned, 55 degrees C is a good point to start the next step. Which is to stir it like crazy. About 8-10 minutes for me... until it is starting to go solid in the pan, at which point you can empty it out. (I normally use a loaf tin fully lined with greaseproof paper for the final setting.) You want to really work the fudge as this stops the crystal structure getting too big.
Some people like to clean around the edges of the pan before they start stirring to avoid anything from earlier in the cooking process falling off and contaminating the batch. I've not bothered too much, but you may want to if you're paranoid.
Set at room temperature, store in fridge.
(As for the base recipe, I've mostly been using the Carnation one - http://www.carnation.co.uk/pudcasts/ultimate-fudge - although it may be a bit rich for some.)
Firstly, sugar thermometer helps a lot. Getting it to the right temperature is key - I usually cook until I've got a reasonably even 116 degrees C throughout the pan, this will involve a fair amount of stirring in the final stages to avoid burnt spots.
Then, when it's reached this, take it off the heat and let it cool in the pan. Do nothing while this happens. This is where the thermometer really comes in handy - you want to let the fudge cool to about 55 degrees C. Loads of recipes that I've seen omit this step, but I've found it's critical.
What you are waiting for is the sugar to, undisturbed, start to crystallise. This will give that sort of crumbly texture to the fudge, and more importantly means you actually get something that's solid. But also you need to be aware that the longer the sugar is left alone, the larger those crystals will get; ignore it completely and you'll end up with unpleasantly grainy, brittle fudge.
As mentioned, 55 degrees C is a good point to start the next step. Which is to stir it like crazy. About 8-10 minutes for me... until it is starting to go solid in the pan, at which point you can empty it out. (I normally use a loaf tin fully lined with greaseproof paper for the final setting.) You want to really work the fudge as this stops the crystal structure getting too big.
Some people like to clean around the edges of the pan before they start stirring to avoid anything from earlier in the cooking process falling off and contaminating the batch. I've not bothered too much, but you may want to if you're paranoid.
Set at room temperature, store in fridge.
(As for the base recipe, I've mostly been using the Carnation one - http://www.carnation.co.uk/pudcasts/ultimate-fudge - although it may be a bit rich for some.)
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