Tips to Making Great Fudge

I've been making fudge all my life, so it always surprises me to hear people talk about how hard it is. Perhaps I can help.

The first rule of fudge making is to use a heavy pan and a long-handled, flexible spoon, such as Cephalon makes. These things are important in all the steps that follow. The heavy pan makes the high heat possible, and the long, flexible spoon makes the constant stirring over high heat, and the essential, but tiring, beating of the fudge less taxing.

The next rule is to use high enough heat. Don't be timid! Begin on high until the fudge begins to boil (it will look sort of like a volcano or hot springs, with bubbles burbling up and splatting). At this stage, turn the heat to medium. You don't want it to stop boiling completely. It has to cook down, but depending on the type of fudge you are making, it can take a while.

The third rule is the most important one, and cannot be overlooked. This is constant stirring. Not haphazard stirring - CONSTANT. Otherwise the fudge will scorch, plus the texture will not turn out right.

The fourth rule is testing to see if the fudge is done. The best way to do this is to put a small container of water in the freezer while you are cooking the fudge. Not long enough to freeze, but just to get chilled thoroughly. When the fudge begins to thicken and boil down, you can check it by getting a spoon full and letting it run off the tip back in to the mix. The slower it runs, the closer you are. To test it, take your container of chilled water and drop a small amount of fudge, roughly a teaspoonful, in to the water from the edge of the spoon. After a second, try to roll the fudge in to a ball and pick it up out of the water with your fingers. If you can lift it without it falling apart, it is at the soft ball stage and the fudge is ready to remove from the heat. Sometimes this is the time to add additional ingredients, such as vanilla or nuts.

The fifth and hardest rule is beating the fudge. Some fudge needs more beating than others. A general rule of thumb is if you use granulated sugar, you will need to beat it longer than fudge using powdered sugar as an ingredient. Be sure to read the directions with the fudge you are making, since there are exceptions. But the idea is to thicken up the fudge, so that too can be your guide. Beating the fudge is a technique involving the muscle in the middle of the forearm. You will feel it! You tilt the pan up, holding it with one hand, and using your long spoon, beat the fudge in small, quick, circular motions with the other hand. Remember in Girl Scouts when you made butter by shaking the jar of cream, and everyone took turns? Beating the fudge is this kind of moment; having beating buddies helps. Every so often, stop beating and tilt the pan slowly back down, then back sideways. If the fudge begins to move slowly and doesn't want to come back, it is getting very close. Watch it very closely now. When it thickly coats the bottom upon tilting, it is time to pour it in a buttered dish and let it "set up" or, thicken further. Sometimes it will thicken suddenly, at which time you need to push it out as quickly as possible in to your buttered dish. Don't do it too soon, or it never will thicken, but will have a sticky consistency such as taffy has. Remember, practice makes perfect! Following these rules will help get it just right, and you will have rich, luscious fudge to share with your loved ones.