Vanilla fudge
It always feels threatening when you think of making fudge, but with this easy and economical recipe, it cannot go wrong. I have tried so many recipes over the years and still find this one my best.
It is nice to use butter, but margarine will be as great. The flour just provides a smooth texture and makes it economical as well.
Makes about 48 squares, depending on size
200 g butter or margarine
385 g can condensed milk
400 ml milk
1.2 kg sugar (6 cups)
140 g (1 cup) cake flour
15 ml(1 Tbsp) fresh lemon juice
30 ml (2 Tbsp) golden syrup
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
1. Combine butter, condensed milk and milk in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Stir lightly over low heat, for about 5 minutes or until melted.
2. Add sugar, flour, lemon juice and syrup. Whisk lightly for flour to dissolve and boil for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently, until sugar starts to dissolve and mixture reaches boiling point.
3. Boil mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes until mixture starts turning caramel in colour. The mixture will still be slightly runny.
4. Remove from heat. Add essence. Beat for 5 minutes by hand or with an electric beater, until it starts to thicken and becomes stiff. Pour into a greased oven pan of about 24 x 34 cm. When almost cool, cut into squares.
Variation
Chocolate fudge
Substitute 30 ml (2 Tbsp) cake flour with 60 ml (¼ cup) cocoa powder.
Microwave option
Follow recipe as above and heat ingredients for 8 minutes. Cook in microwave at 100% power for about 35 minutes, frequently removing and stirring the fudge. Beware, as it can boil over quickly. Remove from microwave and add essence. Beat well for about 5 minutes until it starts to thicken and becomes stiff.
My special tips
– It is important to use a thick heavy-based pot, because the heat needs to distribute over the entire mixture.
– Brush the sides of the pan with a wet brush when you start to dissolve the sugar crystals on the sides.
– Try to stir lightly, because if you stir too much, the mixture will start to crystallize. Whisk to remove lumps if necessary.
– A way of testing if cooked far enough; drop a bit of the mixture in cold water – it should form a soft ball in the water.
– Test with a sugar thermometer – it should be around 115 °C, softball stage.
– Vanilla essence always gets added after cooking, or else the flavour just evaporates during cooking.
– Stop beating when the surface of the mixture start looking dull. Turn out immediately into a greased pan and leave to cool almost completely before cutting.