Fudge

For other uses, see Fudge (disambiguation).

Fudge.

Fudge is a type of candy, usually extremely rich and sometimes flavored with cocoa. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at 240 Â°F (116 Â°C), and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency. Chocolate can also be mixed in to make chocolate fudge.

Origins

American culinary folklore has it that fudge was invented in the United States more than 100 years ago. The exact origin is disputed, but most stories claim that the first batch of fudge resulted from a bungled ("fudged") batch of caramels made on February 141886—hence the name "fudge." The Origins of Fudge Putting the record straight. The Country Fudge Company. Accessed November 1, 2007

One of the first documentations of fudge is found in a letter written by Laura Elizabeth Simmonds, an ex-student at Malmesbury School in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. She wrote that her schoolmate\'s cousin made fudge in Baltimore, Maryland in 1886 and sold it for 40 cents a pound. Miss Hartridge got hold of the fudge recipe, and in 1888, made 30 lb (14 kg) of this delicious fudge for the Vassar College Senior Auction. This Vassar fudge recipe became quite popular at the school for years to come.Oh Fudge!: A Celebration of America\'s Favorite Candy by Lee Edwards Benning 1993 Owl Books ISBN-10:, pages 7 through 12. Accessed November 1, 2007

Word of this popular confection spread to other women\'s colleges. For example, Wellesley and Smith have their own versions of this fudge recipe.

Chemistry

Fudge is a drier variant of fondant.

In forming a fondant, it is not easy to keep all vibrations and seed crystals from causing rapid crystallisation to large crystals. Consequently, milkfat and corn syrup are often added. Corn syrup contains glucose, fructose (monosaccharides) and maltose (disaccharide). These sugars interact with the sucrose molecules. They help prevent premature crystallization by inhibiting sucrose crystal contact. The fat also helps inhibit rapid crystallisation. Controlling the crystallization of the supersaturated sugar solution is the key to smooth fudge. Initiation of crystals before the desired time will result in fudge with fewer, larger sugar grains. The final texture will have a grainy mouthfeel rather than the smooth texture of quality fudge.

One of the most important parts of any candy is its texture. The temperature is what separates hard caramel from fudge. The higher the peak temperature, the more sugar is dissolved, the more water is evaporated; resulting in a higher sugar to water ratio. Before the availability of cheap and accurate thermometers, cooks would use the ice water test to determine the saturation of the candy. Fudge is made at the "soft ball" stage which varies by altitude and ambient humidity from 235 Â°F (113 Â°C) to 240 Â°F (116 Â°C).

Some recipes call for making fudge with prepared marshmallows as the sweetener. This allows the finished confection to use the structure of the marshmallow for support instead of relying on the crystallization of the sucrose. Fudge squares can be substituted for the marshmallows.

References

• Jones, Charlotte Foltz (1991). Mistakes That Worked. Doubleday. ISBN.

See also

• Praline - a confection using similar flavors as original fudge
• Scots tablet - Scottish confection with similar recipe

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