Over cooked fudge or under beaten fudge or ???

- A
- Anvah Gareson
  
  Contact options for registered users
posted
20 years ago

Fri, Sep 12, 2003 3:54 PM

Hey all,

I tried to make fudge yesterday and failed!! (yet again)

My recipe (posted on this group a while back) is as follows:

2 cups sugar 3/4 cup milk 2 oz chocolate 1 oz butter 1 tsp vanilla pinch of salt 1 tsp of corn syrup

I combined the sugar, milk, chocolate, salt and syrup. Waited till it reached soft ball stage, took off heat, add butter, waited till it cooled to 110 F, add vanilla and nuts and beat it.

Now the problem -

As I was beating the fudge, it turned hard and broke off into chunks. It lost its glosiness but was hard and crumbly. When I eat it, it melts right in my mouth so I don't think it is grainy. But its not fudge!

What's causing the problem? I test for softball stage by dipping my finger in the solution and seeing whether I can roll it into a soft ball. (I dip my finger in cold water before dipping in the solution.) Could it be that my test for soft ball stage is wrong? Could it be that I'm not washing down the sides of the pan enough so there are sugar crystals left behind? Am I not beating it vigorously enough?

I'm planning on making a quarter recipe this weekend taking into account any suggestions made.

I appreciate any help! Thank you!

Anvah

- V
- Vox Humana
  
  Contact options for registered users
Vote on answer
posted
20 years ago

Fri, Sep 12, 2003 4:19 PM

If you are going to make candy you need to get a thermometer. The small cost of the candy thermometer will be repaid many times in the saving on expensive ingredients and wasted time. I have never heard of your method for testing for the softball stage. The only way that I have seen it described is to put a small amount of the syrup into a container of cold water. If it forms a soft ball then .... Seriously, you can get an incredible burn by putting your finger into a pan of boiling syrup. I think that you did experience crystallization and perhaps cooked the fudge too long. I would try increasing the corn syrup to a tablespoon. It is in there to help prevent crystal formation. Also make sure to clean the sides of the pot with cold water to rinse off any sugar crystals.

- N
- Nexis
  
  Contact options for registered users
Vote on answer
posted
20 years ago

Sat, Sep 13, 2003 2:45 AM

It's also important to find out if your thermometer is accurate. If not, simply adjust for the discrepancy. For the record, I know several pastry chefs who do something similar, but even they use a thermometer as well. My favorite pastry chef, Cindy Mushet, gives a good description of thermometer use in her classes. I think the OP overcooked the fudge, and also should have waited until the sugar was dissolved to add the chocolate. I posted a recipe in r.f.c. where they also posted this, for the smoothest creamiest fudge I've ever had. It's awesome, especially if you add the optional espresso and hazelnuts!

kimberly