Why didn't our fudge set up?

Was it raining or damp when she made it? You can't make candy on a wet day. It won't set up.

Mitch...just because it was on FoodTV...really doesn't mean a thing......yes, they screw up too.

My advise.....when life gives you lemons...you make lemonade.

When you have runny chocolate....you package it in sterilized jars and give it away as a yummy chocolate Christmas sauce.

Or....you heat it in a microwave for 30 seconds and eat it all yourself....delicious on vanilla ice cream or pecan pie....or on Napoleon...or bread pudding...or croissants...or you get the idea.

The Fine Art of Cooking involves personal choice. Many preferences, ingredients, and procedures may not be consistent with what you know to be true.

As with any recipe, you may find your personal intervention will be necessary. Bon Appetit!

My guess is that you should have used the "soft ball" test, and not relied on the thermometer.

The soft ball test will work regardless of the makeup of the recipe, which is important. For example, I've never seen corn syrup in a true old-fashioned fudge recipe. It may work, but it would certainly change the chemical makeup of the mixture, and could easily result in not being cooked properly if you just go by a thermometer.

Here's one recipe I found: ==============================

1 tsp vanilla extract

mix together, sugar, cream & cocoa. Bring to a hard boil for one minute, stirring constantly. reduce heat to a slow boil & cook until the candy forms a solid, firm soft ball when dropped in water. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla. Let cool and then beat until the fudge loses some of it's gloss. Pour out into buttered 9x12" glass pan. Let set until firm then cut into desired size.

================================== I don't have our old family recipe, but it didn't use half & half -- just milk.

Also, the words "solid, firm soft ball when dropped in water" aren't quite correct.

When you drop a bit into a glass of cold water, it should form what is known as a "soft" ball -- one that will hold its shape unless you try to pick it up, then it will squish.

A "firm" or "hard" ball is for other kinds of candy -- mostly hard candy, not fudge.

Don't know if any of this will help you. . . .

Alan

==

It's not that I think stupidity should be punishable by death. I just think we should take the warning labels off of everything and let the problem take care of itself.

--------------------------------------------------------

Thanks, we'll give it another try. I think I'll call my mom and get her recipe. Her fudge is the firm type (the kind that gets dry and crumbly if you don't eat it within 5 days or so). That's what I grew up with and I prefer it to the soft stuff.

I did some Googling and found that some people roll their failed fudge into truffles, but ours won't even stand up...just turns into a puddle.

Tastes great, though!

You could warm it up and make hot fudge sundaes!!!!

Alan

==

It's not that I think stupidity should be punishable by death. I just think we should take the warning labels off of everything and let the problem take care of itself.

--------------------------------------------------------

If you go to that page and click on 'Reviews' you will find other people that had the same problem with the recipe and what they did about it. dizzi

Sounds to be that you didn't allow it to come to that boiling stage...not just bubbles but an actual boil and the recipe I use calls for it to come to a boil and then simmer and keep stirring it ....I use the recipe on the Marshmallow Fluff....it has never let me down. Pami

Was it raining or otherwise unusually more damp than usual?

If it's REAL(tm) fudge, that'll do it.

Isaac

I think they mentioned marshmallow creme, so I don't think it's "real" fudge!

Alan Moorman