Dead for Tax Reasons: most home cooks are intimidated by hot sugar syrup and anything involving a "soft-ball stage," or any sort of ball stage.

So you are saying you have to dip your balls in it? Is that for testing temperature or does it give it a special flavor?

Hey, Louie, look at this vat of fudge I just made

Um, subby isn't that what my dad is for? Sheesh.

Amateurs

LOL....Ball stage.

I've never actually checked of course, but I think my mom lacks the proper equipment for fudge packing. Just throwing that out there.

When I was a kid on a family vacation to St. Louis, we went to some mall with a fudge shop located in the food court, and this guy, Tony the Fudge Turner or whatever his name was, would perform a little comedy routine while "turning" the fudge with a wooden spatula, drawing a big crowd. He said he was a fan of Tina Turner (no relation), he sang "What's Fudge Got to Do With It?", etc.

I sort of collect old candymaking cookbooks, and actually use them once in a while, so I approve of this article. He's right, too -- 'traditional' fudge is so much better than the 'foolproof' recipes ... when it turns out.

Cookbook recommendation -- the one I keep going back to is "Homemade Candy" by the editors of The Farm Journal. Possibly out of print, but there ought to be lots of used copies around. It's a good place to start if you're interested in making candy. If anyone wants, I'll type out the "Oklahoma Brown Candy" recipe, it's a burnt sugar caramel with lots of pecans. You melt half the sugar in a skillet and drizzle it into the rest of the ingredients.

Tip -- do NOT use Baker's unsweetened chocolate for ANYTHING. It makes everything taste like shiat.

Ah yes. The queen mother of all the bad words.

Billy's Dad is a Fudgepacker! (new window)

Where'd you get these brownies?

I got them in the West Quahog gay district.

Oh my gosh, they pack so much fudge into these! Look, there's even a couple of nuts lodged in there.

blackmtnmantheonly: LOL....Ball stage.

There are crack stages, too.

Back in the day when I was a cop, I arrested a guy who worked in the despatch of a local confectionary factory.

We managed to get his occupation down on the custody record as 'fudge packer'.

Small things cause much amusement.

Yum. The love/hate of Mackinac Island and fudgies.

/They hate the tourists and the trolls, but love our money.

I have to disagree with the article. The only time I eat fudge it's because I went up north for vacation and stopped on the island. If i know how "easy" it is I would make it too often and it wouldn't be special.

phaseolus

I'd like that recipe. Made fudge just the other day for a birthday party, real fudge mind you, no canned milk for me.

Yeah, or you could just go buy some fudge.

The recipe I have has been handed down through three generations. No candy thermometer needed and makes 5 lbs at a time.

/CSB: the first time I tried to make it I didn't cook it long enough and wound up with what one person called "frosting with attitude"

Dude, just read the back of the Marshmallow Fluff™ jar! (new window)

dragontatty: I'd like that recipe. Made fudge just the other day for a birthday party, real fudge mind you, no canned milk for me.


"...The superb flavor comes from the caramelized sugar and the generous amount of pecans, a native Oklahoma nut, embedded in the luscious sweetness. You can use half the amount of pecans if you wish, or you can use other kinds of nuts.

"You may want a helper standing by, at least the first time you make this candy. The trick is to get the sugar caramelized and ready to pour at the same time the sugar-milk mixture reaches the boil. Also, it's helpful to have someone share the beating.

"Some Oklahoma women use their pressure cooker kettles for the saucepan in which to cook the candy. The recipe makes a big batch, so a deep cooking pan is desirable. ..."


Oklahoma Brown Candy

6 c. sugar
2 c. milk or dairy half-and-half
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 lbs. pecans, broken

Combine 4 c. sugar and milk in 4-qt. heavy saucepan. Stir and set aside.

Put remaining 2 c. sugar in 10" heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar starts to melt. Then place sugar-milk mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.

Continue melting sugar in skillet, stirring, until all is melted and is the color of light brown sugar. (Melting sugar scorches easily so watch carefully.) This may take almost 30 minutes.

Pour melted sugar in a fine stream into the boiling sugar-milk mixture, stirring constantly. The secret to success is to pour it in a very fine stream. [It's been a couple years since I made this stuff but I kinda remember it really wants to boil up when you're doing this, which is why you need to take it slow.]

Cook combined mixture to the firm ball stage (246°). Remove from heat at once. Stir in baking soda. The mixture foams vigorously when soda is added. Add butter and let stand 30 minutes.

Add vanilla and beat with wooden spoon until mixture loses its gloss and begins to thicken. Add Pecans, and stir to mix.

Pour into lightly buttered 13 x 9 x 2" pan. Cool slightly and cut in pieces of the desired size. Makes 4-1/2 to 5 pounds.

Stopped reading when the author started making a big deal about balls. Balls of any type. Balls.

Ach, all yer fudges pale into insignificance compared to Scottish Tablet!

Google it, ye gommerills!

So my late aunt used to make a brown sugar fudge with cherries. I guess it's called penuche. (All my relatives live on the east coast in New Brunswick... Acadians) I've tried to make it and it never turns out right. Any advice. It looks like this but with cherries instead of nuts.

davidt: I've tried to make it and it never turns out right. Any advice.


What goes wrong -- Does it get all grainy, or something?

I've never made Penuche, but now I kind of want some.

"2 cups sugar, preferably organic"

davidt:

Also -- what can you tell me about the cherries? How did your aunt prepare them? What kind were they?

Thinking about how chocolatiers make those cherry cordial things, they wrap each cherry (a maraschino cherry, I guess) with fondant and then cover the solid ball with chocolate. After a while the moisture from the cherry leaches into the fondant and dissolves it.

So I'm wondering how she'd incorporate cherries into the penuche in a way that wouldn't leave her with a puddle of goo -- Were they fresh cherries? Chopped up and drained for a little while, maybe? Or those candied cherries that people put in fruitcake?

That's funny because i just made a big batch of brown fudge and left it in the toilet to "cure up" for the next person.

gambitsgirl

Been using that recipe for ages, now. And it got to where I made all of my fudge with the microwave or a double boiler. Turned out to be very tasty and darn near impossible to screw up.

I use a recipe that's very old, about 4 generations or so. Very simple but time consuming and no, you can't have it, the recipe stays in the family.

/ball stage makes a different sound when it's boiling. After awhile you 'hear' when it's ready

JSieverts: Many people are unaware of the great history of candy making that exists in Wisconsin, and how popular candy making is in the state...whether it is the Jelly Bellys factory in Kenosha, the nut rolls up in the dells, or the fine buttercream fudge that is made around Green Bay, Wisconsonites are very proud of the candy industry, and those in it are heroic figures in the state.

Amongst the greatest, most beloved amongst those in the candymeat packing industry, are those strong men whose job it is to put the candy into boxes butcher cattle, put the boxes into crates, and stack the crates onto pallets for shipping. So beloved are these men, such a strong role model are they, that the city of Green Bay named their NFL Football team for those men who prepare the rich, dark fudge for shipping... at the Acme Packing Company

Go Packers!

/csb
(notsureifserious.jpg) but if you are you're wrong.

Tillmaster: Ach, all yer fudges pale into insignificance compared to Scottish Tablet!

Google it, ye gommerills!

but how does the Scottish Tablet compare to the iPad?

I heartily recommend Oh, Fudge (new window) a fudge cookbook by Lee Edwards Benning. This has recipes for anything and everything fudge related including caramel, brownies, and historical recipes. The modern recipes use a scientific approach to virtually guarantee perfect fudge every time. I always make a couple batches around the holidays.

Honey fudge is the way to go.

Honey, butter and chocolate. If I recall correctly equal parts and just melt it together. Stickier than most fudge but glorious.

Now I Is!: Dude, just read the back of the Marshmallow Fluff™ jar! (new window)

This! Dear god, I know some purist is going to say that's it not true fudge, but it is the best fudge. And it's not as dense as most fudges either.

\Puts Marshmallow fluff on shopping list.

Toquinha: Billy's Dad is a Fudgepacker! (new window)

Came here for this.

Every time I see that picture of Mitt, I think of this hilarious video.

Actually, scratch that. Here's the uncut version:

Billy's dad is a fudge packer (7 minute version)

Link (new window)