Fudge is such a part of our culture it’s even become an adjective. We have fudgy brownies, fudgy cookies and even fudgy ice cream cakes. But what is it that sets this tasty treat apart, and how is it made? Read on for the details.
What Is Fudge?
Fudge is a dense, rich confection typically made with sugar, milk or cream, butter and chocolate or other flavourings. The base for fudge is boiled until it reaches the soft-ball stage (135 to 140 degrees F), then stirred or beaten as it cools to minimise the formation of sugar crystals. The result is creamy and smooth with a distinctive semi-soft texture and just a hint of sugar crystals. After cooling, fudge is usually cut into slabs or bite-size squares.
What Is Fudge Made Of?
The first known recipe for fudge dates from the 1880s and contained just sugar, cream, chocolate and butter, and many modern recipes contain little else. But fudge-making can be tricky - small variations in ingredients and temperature sometimes cause the confection to be too soft, too hard or too crystalised. For this reason a number of ingredients are often included in fudge to make it more reliably thick and smooth, among them corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow creme.
Some modern recipes for fudge mimic the classic confection’s texture without the long cooking. These include uncooked fudges based on everything from cream cheese to coconut butter to peanut butter, quick-cooked fudges based on marshmallow creme, and microwave fudges made with ingredients like sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips. These fudges are set up in the fridge and usually need to be kept refrigerated, so they’re sometimes called fridge fudge.
Is Fudge the Same as Chocolate?
Although fudge often contains chocolate, fudge is not the same as chocolate. Chocolate is a mix of cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sometimes sugar and other flavourings and is hard and brittle. Fudge is a mixture of sugar, dairy and flavourings that’s cooked and cooled to form a smooth, semi-soft confection.
Is Fudge Always Chocolate Flavoured?
Although chocolate is by far the most popular, fudge comes in any number of flavours. Maple, peanut butter and butterscotch are particularly popular, and a type of fudge known as penuche is made with brown sugar and flavoured with vanilla. Nuts, raisins, candied fruits, chocolate chips and other scrummy treats are often mixed into fudge or sprinkled on top. Shops specialising in fudge offer dozens of flavours including seasonal ones like pumpkin and peppermint.
