Fudge and other Christmas sweet delights...

[shoppingbagsundereyes]

First attempt at fudge making today ended with a sludgy grainy (but yummy) mush. I'd like to make little pretty cellophane bags with fudge/truffles etc in as Christmas presents and have got plenty of time to experiment so wondered if anyone has any favourite recipes to share?

[nextphase]

I've made this fudge successfully before. use full fat milk!
If it didn't set, I'd say you didn't cook it for long enough. I've always done it by getting a bit on the end of a teaspoon, and dropping into a cup of cold water. If it can be rolled into a soft ball after cooling, your at the soft ball stage - no thermometer here. Grainy - call it scottish tablet?

[piprabbit]

I got given some tablet this summer (after a friend went to Scotland on holiday). Some of it was flavoured with ginger. I thought it was going to be disgusting, but it was lovely - like ginger biscuits only better.

I had thought that a home made version would be a nice christmassy variant on fudge.

[shoppingbagsundereyes]

Used half fat, thought that may have been the trouble. Boiled for 22 mins but think needed more

[shoppingbagsundereyes]

Nextphase, just clicked on link. That was the exact recipe I used lol
Will try with full fat

[nextphase]

Ok, sorry, it worked for me.
I'd definitely go for full fat milk, and proper butter, not marge? After all fudge is all about fat and sugar!

Ignore the clock, and wait till you test and get the soft ball, as above. I also add the vanillia just before beating, as its got alcohol in it, and evaporates off slightly less when cooler.

[LeBFG]

I found a fudge recipe on here that I've yet to test (will do tomorrow). The main difference is using condensed milk and the poster swore it always made great fudge.

[LeBFG]

Oh, here it is. Fizzbuzz's one.

[oddslippers]

this is great I've made this lots of times, it works really well, have added things like Brazil nuts which is lovely. You really do have to work hard beating it though, it makes the difference.

[fuzzpig]

Shamelessly marking place. I would love to make little foody treats for Xmas but I'm crap at that sort of thing as well as extremely disorganised. I went to hobbycraft yesterday and spent ages drooling (metaphorically) over the stuff in the baking section.

I want to make stained glass biscuits, I've been meaning to try them for years - you cut out a hole in the uncooked biscuit and pop in a boiled sweet before baking. Apparently it melts and sets like glass?!

Also want to try fudge and truffles.

[shoppingbagsundereyes]

Fuzz pig, stained glass biscuits are really easy. They get tricky if you are hoping to hang them up as it's hard to make a hole that won't break.
Thanks all, will try all these over the next few weeks :)

[cairnterrier]

OP try this:

www.ocado.com/webshop/recipe/marshmallow-fluff-fudge/5882?selectedCategories

It's really easy and absolutely delicious. Happy Christmas baking!

[fuzzpig]

Thanks shopping, they wouldn't last long enough to be hung up in this house :o

OMG@marshmallow fluff fudge. I need to start testing recipes.

[blueberryboybait]

This makes slightly harder Tablet type fudge but has never failed.

125 g butter
400 g (500 ml) White Sugar
1 can condensed milk
25 ml vanilla essence
10 ml vinegar

Line a 20 x 20 cm pan with silicone paper or foil.
Spray with Spray and Cook.
Microwave the butter for 1 minute in a deep dish at 100% power.
Add the sugar and condensed milk.
Do not stir and microwave for 1 minute on 100% power.
Stir with a wooden spoon.
Microwave for 10 minutes and stir every three minutes.
Add the vanilla essence and vinegar.
Stir with a wooden spoon until it thickens.
Spoon into pan and smooth with palette knife.
Leave to cool and cut into 3 cm squares before the fudge gets to hard.
Leave to cool completely and turn out.
Break into blocks.

[evenkeel]

Just dipping in to second shoppingbags - yes, stained glass biscuits are fun to do and really easy. You can even cut out different shaped holes and use different coloured sweets, to be really fancy.

If you gently bore a hole in them with a spoon handle or something as soon as they come out of the oven and the biscuit bit is still warm/pliable, you can generally hang them up. It tends not to work if you do it before baking as the holes just close up

The sainted Martha Stewart always has loads of amazing ideas on her site for Christmas things to make - see here for example
The recipes are in American but you can shamelessly rip off adapt her suggestions....

[cairnterrier]

Fuzzpig if you get the jar of Marshmallow fluff, you'll be pleased to know that on the side of the jar it says that it can be enjoyed as part of a low fat breakfast. So that's nice.

PS if you stick your hand right in with a teaspoon to scrape all the bits from the bottom of the jar to eat off the spoon then you get sticky. Very, very sticky. And then keep on discovering more bits of sticky hours later.

Soooooo addictive though.

[shoppingbagsundereyes]

Ooh even more to try, thanks :)

[letsplaynice]

Marshmallows are easy with the right recipe & a sugar thermometer