When I try to make my mom's old fashioned fudge, it never forms a ball. As many pans as I've tried, it's either gummy or hard when I pour it on the buttered platter, what am I doing? I tried cooking it a bit longer and now it's so hard on the pan hot water won't bring it off.
My recipe includes: 3 cups sugar, 4 tablespoons of cocoa, and 1 cup of 2% milk, in the end I put butter and vanilla. It never turns out. Why? I have wasted so much. Thank you.
Phyllis
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Try going on:baking911.com
Hope this helps I got it from answersyahoo.com:
Ingredients:
250mL of 35% cream
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
a lump of butter the size of 1/2 an egg
Method:
Boil cream and sugars together until a spoonful dropped in a glass of icy water forms a ball.
Add butter and vanilla.
Remove from heat.
Beat with a wooden spoon until it thickens.
Spread in a greased pan big/small enough to make a ~ 2 cm
thick layer. Chill until firm. Cut into not-too-big pieces.
Yield:
A pan of delight.
Notes:
Beating the mixture might tire you out. You can help the thickening process by placing the pot in a sink that has some cold water at the bottom.
For baking dessert squares and the like, I learned to line my pans with foil and then oil the foil, so that I later just have to lift the foil out for cutting the food - especially with non-stick pans.
Store your sucre a la crème in the fridge.
I think you may need to add a tablespoon or so of light corn syrup. My Mom has been making cooked fudge for years, and she has always sworn that was the secret for the fudge setting up and not turning to hard sugar.
Cook until it reaches a soft ball stage, does not have to hold the shape for long, just a soft ball.
Alexandria VA
I would buy a candy thermometer they are very inexpensive mine cost me about four dollars a restaurant supply store and I am sure you could probably find them for less online. The soft ball test has to be done correctly and is not goof proof if you are an old time candy maker you develop an eye for candy is the right temperature I know because my grandmother could do it I can't so I have a candy thermometer its much cheaper than repeatedly wasting ingredients. A softball is when you pour candy in cold water dip your finger in bring the ball out and if smushes easily on your finger its done.
You do not want to overcook fudge and I second the corn syrup suggestion. Also you have to be very careful to not shake the pan when the fudge is cooling again candy thermometer! Best of luck.
Upon reading your post again I noticed something are you doing the test in cold water or on a platter because if you aren't doing it in cold water it won't work.-Tigra
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