Is fudge hard to make?

[hudyerwheesht]

I bought some hand-made fudge yesterday and now that I've scoffed the lot it was so nice I'd quite like to have a go at making some but thought I'd check MN before I start melting my pans.

I've made tablet before (a sort of Scottish fudge with enough sugar in it to give you type 2 diabetes) at the expense of my best non-stick pan so I know its going to be tricky....

Fudge is easier than tablet!

Do you have a sugar thermometer? I gather they make life even more predictable. I don't have one.

There's even a Nutella fudge recipe that cheats (from memory you melt Nutella with butter, then fold in icing sugar). Incredibly delicious.

I use an Usborne first cookbook fudge recipe.
500g brown sugar
60g butter
1/2pint milk
Vanilla essence

All except vanilla in a pan, boil for 1/2 hour. Keep a bowl of water by the pan, test the fudge by dripping fudge into the water. It forms a soft ball underwater when it's ready.
Then mix in vanilla, pour into a greased tray to set.

Nutella fudge?!

Yes I was planning on getting a sugar thermometer if I was going to attempt it after the tablet debacle.

Thanks for the recipe, Inmysparetime, might start with that one...

Go on youtube there are some super cheats using condensed milk and sugar (one pot chef and simple cooking channel have some)...

They don't last as long as normal fudge, but I find fudge gets scoffed instantly anyway!

Double Cream, Butter, Sugar and a flavour, very, very easy, it's just a case of making sure that you've got it hot enough to set, which is just testing the hot mix regularly in a pot of cold water.

The only problem is beating it enough to be really smooth!

Melt butter, mix in cream and sugar, heat gently until the sugar's all dissolved, boil until hot enough to set. Beat Like crazy, mix in flavour when it's in cooled if it's something like chocolate, or add it at the boiling stage if it's vanilla or something.