Recipe: Vanilla Fudge
I’m not a big fan of fudge I find it can be sickly and gritty, but I made some fudge before Christmas as part of a hamper for my family and when I tasted some it was hands down the best fudge I’ve ever tasted. Buttery smooth melt in your mouth and none of that horrid graininess I dislike so much. So I thought I’d share my recipe with you for the most delicious fudge ever. Be warned though! It’s super bad for you, there’s nearly 500g of sugar in a batch as well as cream and butter. It’s totally worth it though.
It is best if you have a sugar thermometer to make the fudge as it takes all the guesswork out of it, but I don’t have one and I made it without so I’ve added some instructions on how to tell when it’s ready if like me, you don’t have a thermometer. It does take quite a lot of time, and elbow grease but it is worth it I promise!
- 450g golden caster sugar
- 400g double cream
- 50g butter
- 1 tbsp glucose syrup
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Line a cake tin with baking parchment.
- Tip the sugar, cream, butter and glucose syrup into a large saucepan. Heat to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter, stirring now and again.
- Once dissolved, put a sugar thermometer in the pan. If you don't have a thermometer it doesn't matter it can be made without.
- Increase the heat and bring the syrup to a steady boil.
- Turn it down a little until it is simmering and stir occasionally until the mixture reaches 116C – this is known as the soft ball stage.
- If you don't have a thermometer get a jug of ice cold water and keep putting a teaspoon of the mixture in the water, when you can scoop the mixture out and roll it into a soft ball that can be squished between your finger and thumb its ready.
- Remove the pan from the heat and leave to sit undisturbed, for 5 mins, until the temperature drops to 110C.
- Stir in the vanilla and a good pinch of salt.
- Keep the sugar thermometer in the pan and beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon, until the temperature cools to about 60C. By this time the fudge will be really thick and will have lost its glossy shine.
- Remove the thermometer and continue beating for another few minutes until it starts setting up.
- Before it sets completely, pour the fudge mixture into the tin and smooth over the surface. Leave to cool at room temperature overnight.
- Cut into bite-sized pieces and put in a box.