Learning how to make fudge is no easy task. And teaching yourself to make perfect fudge that sets and is smooth, creamy and delicious every time is even harder. It is a scientific process – something as simple as cooking your fudge mixture a degree or two too hot or too cold. Or slightly too much liquid or not enough sugar – all these factors play a role in creating a perfect fudge. If any one element isn’t precise, your fudge will reflect this! No one enjoys fudge with a gritty texture, that is sticky and too soft or too dry with sugar crystallisation. Follow these tips to ensure your fudge is superb, creamy and absolutely perfect, every time!
Top Tips and Troubleshooting
- Measure your ingredients
This probably goes without saying, but you need to be precise with your ingredients. Once you have a perfect recipe, make sure it is the exact same, every time. Any slight variation could have a negative impact on the final result. - Use good ingredients
It seems obvious, but good ingredients are vital in creating a delicious fudge. When we first began our fudge-making trials, we tried out upwards of 10 different recipes to find one that we loved. Even then, we continued experimenting with quantities to get it just right. Generally a dairy fudge will consist of sugar, fresh cream and butter (we source these from a local farm). For our plant-based fudge, we replaced dairy cream with creamed coconut and experimented with sugar and liquid quantities to get a vegan fudge we loved. Good quality chocolate can also be used to help with the setting process and to add creaminess. And glucose syrup or golden syrup can help with texture. It’s really a case of finding a recipe you love and ensuring the ingredients are of the quality, every time. - Temperature – precision!
I can’t emphasise enough the importance of your cooking temperature. Literally a degree out and you will have a fudge which is different to the one you made last time. Despite the recipe being exactly the same. The science bit is that whilst your fudge is bubbling away on the stove, as well as getting hotter, the water content of the mixture is gradually reducing whilst moisture evaporates. So the final cooking temperature is not only telling you how hot the mix is – but more vitally, how much water remains in it. Cook your fudge too hot and it will be drier and harder, since more water has evaporated. Don’t cook it hot enough and your fudge will be too soft. Because not enough water was removed. So my top tip is this: purchase a sugar thermometer! Ideally a digital one. Find the cooking temp that works with your recipe and then use your thermometer to ensure you know the exact temperature (and therefore water content) every time. - Atmosphere
Fudge is a delicate art, and the atmosphere at any given time also plays a part. Be sure to pay attention to the temperature of your environment – if this changes, so will your fudge. A perfect recipe cooked in winter is likely to need a cooking temperature adjustment when cooked in the summer to achieve the same result – a warmer atmosphere would likely require a slightly higher cooking temperature. - Mixing
Mixing your fudge well is vital to achieve a perfectly smooth texture! This begins in the pan – if you don’t fully mix your sugar with the other ingredients whilst the heat is on the pan, it will likely begin to burn to the bottom. So mix well, and stir regularly to ensure everything is moving and not sticking. Once your mix has reached the desired temperature, your fudge will again need to be mixed as it cools to thicken up evenly. In our kitchens, we use an electric whisk to save our arms – so if you have one, use it! Mix until you see that glossy mix start to thicken up, then pour out and leave to set.
That about wraps it up – good luck with your fudge experiments. And if it all sounds like too much effort, remember you can leave it to our artisans to do the hard work for you and shop our range of dairy and vegan fudge. Just remember, don’t settle for average fudge. Buy from an independently run family business to ensure your fudge is top notch!
