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Vanilla Fudge

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Vanilla Fudge

Fudge is a wonderful indulgence and cooking up a sweet, sticky batch of it is a great way to while away an afternoon at home. However, if you need an instant sugary fix, there are faster options. The decision is yours.

  • Vegetarian
Preparation time:
50 minutes, plus cooling
Total time:
50 minutes, plus cooling 50 minutes
Makes:
 500g

Ingredients

  • 500g caster sugar
  • 2 x 170g cans evaporated milk
  • 4 tbsp milk
  • Pinch of salt
  • 100g butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
  • 1 vanilla pod, split

Method

  1. Line a 20cm-square cake tin or similarly sized loaf tin with silver foil, extending the foil over the edges of the tin. Grease the foil and set aside.
  2. Put the sugar, milk, evaporated milk, and salt into a large pan. Place the pan over a low heat and stir gently until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to the boil, without stirring. Once boiling, lower the heat and cook, stirring frequently to prevent the mixture sticking, for 30 minutes.
  3. Remove the saucepan from heat and add the butter and vanilla pod but do not stir. Let the mixture cool, without stirring, for about 15 minutes.
  4. Remove the vanilla pod and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until it becomes thick and just starts to lose its gloss (this should take about 10 minutes).
  5. Pour the fudge into the prepared tin, leave for about 30 minutes, then score into 2.5cm squares while still warm. Leave until cold (it will remain quite soft-textured), then use the foil to lift the fudge out of the pan. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Comments and images

Average user rating 4 stars out of 5

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Anne46

Anne46 04 June 2011 22:20

If you do not have a sugar thermometer the way to check if the mixture is ready to put into the tin to set is by dropping a small amount into some cold water, it should be at the soft ball stage (when dropped into cold water you should be able to roll it into a soft ball), otherwise carry on boiling till it reaches this stage.

Miasmama

Miasmama 14 April 2011 19:34

I made this recipe 2 weeks ago and ended up with gloop that would not set. I put it in the freezer and took it out again 12 days later. When it had defrosted I put it into a bowl and heated it in the microwave. This time I used my confectionery thermometer and trusted to luck on timings. It took around 5 minutes to reach temp (temp taken at 1 minute intervals) and is perfect. Boiling for 30 minutes is misleading as the boil should be rolling - not a gentle simmer. This is where the recipe goes wrong in my opinion and the fact that a thermometer is essential and using it properly is even more essential. I shall be making it again at the weekend as everyone wants some!!!!!

Ladyfifi

Ladyfifi 25 February 2011 18:54

I am afraid this just won't set, I have spent ages beating it and now reading some of these comment, I do not think it will, if time has no effect. I just have a very nice smelling but runny gloop which will neither lose its 'gloss' or get any stiffer.

James1234

James1234 10 December 2010 18:37

I just wanted to say that this fudge recipe (and any others for that matter) are so much easier with a sugar thermometer. I bought one recently for £5 and every fudge recipe I've tried has worked perfectly since I started using it - including the ones that didn't before! Someone else made the comment that you can make fudge in 20 mins using a thermometer and they're right. I've tried it!

Chef.A

Chef.A 29 July 2010 14:56

At first, the mixture was very thick and seemed like it would set easily but unfortunatley, the inside of the fudge stays very soft and definitley doesn't set easily.

Chef.A

Chef.A 27 July 2010 16:55

When I made my fudge (following this recipe) it wasn't at all runny and I didn't add any icing sugar as suggested to thicken it up. I stuck to the recipe except for one thing which was the vanilla pod. Instead of that, I used vanilla essence because I didn't have any vanilla pods. I don't know if this affected the end result but my end mixture wasn't runny whatsoever. 4/5 for the recipe.

paul h

paul h 12 July 2010 19:10

delicious and works well for me everytime, but it does take a good 30 mins to cook down. add a capfull of baileys or 4 or 5 peces of dark chocolate to make a different flavour.

Russell B

Russell B 19 May 2010 22:24

Great recipe, first time I used it yesterday, hadn't read the comments but I disagree totally, fudge and toffee are a bit like a chemical reaction, your boiling off the water inside to reduce the mixture, this is easily monitored by how long you cook it or its temperature, measured with a sugar thermometer, once the mixture is thick enough, ie. enough water has been evaporated, then you have fudge, if it doesn't set then it needs more cooking, as per last comments, keep a good steady heat, brown bits are ok unless you get lots appear quickly, then its too hot, keep siring, its thick enough after a good half an hour, and its beginning to get difficult to stir fast, if you cook it too much then you get toffee, I found this recipe much easier to get right as you add the butter last, made for a good result - soft fudge, if you want crumbly, just cook it a bit more!

robbyc

robbyc 19 April 2010 17:41

Great recipe! Just requires a bit of fine tuning to get it to come out spot on. Ignore what the others are saying about it not working and having to opt for icing sugar, cheats! I substituted half the sugar for Demarera sugar to give a bit more flavour and added a tablespoon of golden syrup to the boiling mixture as it helps to give a smoother consistency. The trick it to give it a good half hour at a steady boil (low-medium heat), stirring to keep it from sticking, it needs to be properly at the soft ball (even slightly chewy) before removing from the heat. If you drop a few drops into water and it goes cloudy straight away, cook it for longer! Stir all the time, it'll stick quickly and you'll get some brown bits floating around. Don't give up if you get these, they add to the flavour. Once it's reached this stage, take it off the heat and leave it well alone for probably half an hour! It needs to cool to a stage where you can just about handle the pan, without being disturbed, as stirring at this stage causes large sugar crystals to develop which will lead to grainy fudge. Once you can touch the side of the pan (about 50C or so), stir in the butter and vanilla. It'll go really thick pretty quickly, keep stirring until you physically can't stir any longer (it's quite workout, burns off some calories in readiness for the eating to come!), then dollop into the tray and allow to cool at room temperature. Don't try and accelerate the cooling at any stage by putting it in water or the fridge as you'll get big sugar crystals forming and the fudge won't be as smooth. Good luck!

katie-lou

katie-lou 26 March 2010 08:26

I'm afraid all the negative stuff is correct. I come from a family of confectioners, we own a pretty well known shop which makes fudge. Firstly you'll probably never get it hot enough in a saucepan at home for it to set later. I tried it anyway, it seemed thick enough but didn't set. Disappointment. However, I'm going to put it all back in the pan and re-heat, and get started again. I think I know it needs to be much thicker before I put it in the tray. Be wary of the icing sugar thing., make sure it's sifted other wise at this stage it won't dissolve. On the other hand I don't have a thermometer, perhaps with one it will be much better. It tastes really good, it's just still gooey. Second attempt tonight! Good luck!

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4 stars out of 5

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This recipe was first published on Waitrose.com in April 2004