Fudge! It is one of the pivotal recipes for the holiday season. If you have never made fudge, you may be afraid of making it because it seems to difficult. The truth is, fudge recipes have very few ingredients and instructions – you just have to be sure to follow the directions correctly. 😉
If you follow these 5 basic tips, you are bound to have fudge that will keep the crowds coming back for more.
1. Assemble your ingredients ahead of time
Making fudge can go pretty quickly, so you’ll want to make sure you have all of your ingredients and materials assembled before you start cooking. There is nothing worse than quickly pouring the hot fudge into your dish, but forgetting to line it with foil and spray it (NOT cool)! You don’t want to be scrambling to measure out ingredients while you’re in the process of making fudge. Do yourself a favor, and pre-assemble everything you need.
2. Have the proper tools
Want to make the perfect fudge? Use a double boiler and a candy thermometer. I know that might sounds complicated, but it really isn’t. Those are the tools to help you make the perfect fudge, EVERY time. You can use a sauce pan and no thermometer, but that leaves some guess work and CAN result in fudge that doesn’t set properly or fudge that is too dry. If you don’t want to spend the money on a double boiler, why not try this Double Boiler bowl – it fits sauce pans of a variety of shapes and sizes and would be perfect for fudge making.
3. Follow the directions exactly
If you are not new to baking, you have probably added a bit more flour here or a bit less sugar there. With fudge, you want to be sure to follow the directions exactly as their written. Typically, you will need to boil the buttery mixture for 5 minutes (this is a rolling boil, 234 F). If you do not boil it long enough, it will not be hot enough the completely dissolve the chocolate and other ingredients and it will not set properly. If you boil it for too long, your fudge will be dryer and will crack (no one likes dry fudge). There aren’t many directions to follow when making fudge, but you do want to be sure to follow them precisely.
4. Prepare your pan correctly
One of the most common mistakes when making fudge is to simply pour the hot mixture into the baking dish. Now, this won’t ruin your fudge, but it makes it so much harder to cut and serve. You will also lose a lot of fudge in the corners and bottom of your pan (who wants to lose fudge?!). The best way to prepare your baking dish is to line it with foil and then lightly spray it with cooking spray. Once your fudge is completely set, you can simply life the foil straight out of your dish and cut it up easily. The foil will fall away from the sides of the fudge easily and there will be virtually nothing stuck to the bottom of the foil – easy to cut and not a nibble wasted!
5. Store carefully
Unlike cookies, fudge should not be left out on the counter. If you store fudge correctly – in an air tight container in the fridge, you will be able to enjoy it for at least a week. So, if you cook up a big batch, you can take some into the office to share and still enjoy some at home for a good week or so.
Have you tried to make fudge before? What have you learned? What advice do you have to give others? Go ahead and try fudge again and let us know how these tips helped you make the perfect fudge.
Check out these other delicious desserts to try:
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