Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Fudge is hard.  Unless you’re willing to make a condensed milk version, fudge making is a tricky process – one that involves delicate timing and temperatures, followed by controlled beating for a precise amount of time.  After throwing out an entire batch yesterday that went grainy, I was  about ready to give up on fudge.  But, loathe to admit defeat, we tried again today.

What did we learn from yesterday’s disastrous attempt?  Firstly, not to try and increase the amount of chocolate, or the mixture is likely to end up grainy.  Secondly, that everything has to be well dissolved before the mixture starts to boil, or the sugar will crystallise and the whole thing will end up in the bin.  Finally, that the addition of a little corn or glucose syrup can make the process much easier .

Here is our fudge recipe – I was pretty happy with the end result, and Pete and Big Boy tried to eat it all before dinner. I didn’t let them!

Edit 24/4/09 – some amendments made to methodology.  We’re trying to make a creamy fudge, as opposed to a harder crumbly one, and I’ve found the more gently you handle the candy, the less likely you are to get a grainy result. The fudge making process is a work in progress!

Ingredients:

• 3oz (90g) dark chocolate (I used 70% Callebaut)
• 3 cups sugar
• ½ cup full cream milk
• ½ cup cream (Australian cream is like a US heavy whipping cream)
• good pinch salt
• 1 Tbsp glucose syrup (or corn syrup)
• 3 Tbsp (45g) butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Grease a square or rectangular glass pan with butter. My pan was a 7″ x 11″ (18 x 28cm) pyrex dish, but the original recipe recommended an 8″ (20cm) square one.

2. Mix together the sugar, milk, cream, glucose syrup and salt in a saucepan.  Stir with a spatula over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved, then add the chocolate and stir together until melted.  At this point, I used a whisk  – everything needs to dissolve before the mix starts to boil, so you might need to adjust your heat accordingly.   Whisk gently and try not to splash too much sugar onto the sides of the pan.  Use a pastry brush dipped in a little bit of hot water to wash any sugar crystals down from the side of the pan.

3. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, stop stirring and clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan, being careful not to let it touch the bottom. The pot I used was probably a little too small – be aware that the mix will rise up as it boils!  Boil over a medium-low heat – if you raise the temperature of the mixture too quickly, it’s more likely to end up grainy.

4. Let the mixture boils until it reaches the soft-ball stage, 235F – 240F (113C to 115C). Stay there and watch it – don’t wander off! I pulled mine off the heat at about 238F, to make sure it didn’t get too hot.  You can test for “soft ball” by putting a little into a glass of ice water and seeing if you can squeeze it together into a soft ball – if so, it’s ready to go.

5. As soon as it reaches the soft-ball temperature, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool.  I put mine onto the stainless steel bench, but you might need a heat mat if your bench isn’t as resilient.  Allow to cool to  110-120F (43.5 – 49C).  At that point, a slight skin will have formed on top.  Add the chopped up butter and vanilla, but don’t stir. Don’t try to rush the cooling time, or the fudge won’t set properly. I find cooling to 120F resulted in a creamier texture, whereas 110F gave us a firmer, more crumbly fudge.

6. Once it has cooled, scrape the fudge into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.  Beat the fudge at a low speed until it “sets up”.  Pause occasionally to let the fudge react (and also to make sure you don’t blow your mixer motor up). The big thing to look out for is a change in appearance – the fudge will lose its gloss and turn a dull, matt brown.  It will also significantly lighten in colour and stiffen up.

7.  As soon as you see this colour and sheen change, scrape the fudge into the prepared pan and press it down with your hands to flatten it evenly into the tray.  Allow the fudge to cool to room temperature, then cut it into squares and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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The fudge experiments continue : The Gentle Art of Fudge Making