Fudge

About a month ago I went to a baking seminar with a friend and was given 11 tins of evaporated milk by the sponsor. To my knowledge I have never drunk or eaten evaporated milk and I've certainly never used it myself. I got it in my head that I could probably make fudge with it and, although it turns out evaporated milk is not generally used in fudge, I went ahead with a bit of experimental candy making nonetheless.

I have expanded my kitchen equipment so that I now have a very basic set of scales and a small baking tray (I'm definitely moving up in the world!). Of course there is still a distinct lack of a sugar thermometer and the scales are not exactly precise so I wasn't really expecting a success...

But it worked! I'm sure that a fudge connoisseur would turn their nose up at this but frankly it tasted delicious and always disappears pretty quickly. You can flavour the fudge or just have it as it is - so far I've made cinnamon and peanut butter versions and I think it would be delicious dipped in dark chocolate ... mmm ......

The first time I used this recipe I reduced the sugar content by 50g and the result was more like the stuff you get inside a Cadbury Fudge bar (remember those?). using the full 350g of caster sugar made a more traditional crumbly fudge which personally I prefer but each to their own :)

Recipe:

350g caster sugar 

100g butter 

300ml evaporated milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 pinches of salt

- Line and grease a small baking tray or cake tin (I didn't line mine and the fudge was difficult to get out).  

- Put the sugar, milk and butter in a saucepan and heat until the butter and sugar have dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil and stir constantly. The mixture should look like it's about to grow into a fudge monster and escape from the bowl (but not actually do that!) and make sure you keep stirring. 

- Keep boiling until the mixture reaches soft-ball stage. If you have a candy thermometer this is 118C but as I don't I checked by dropping a tiny amount of mixture into a bowl of water. When the mixture forms a ball soft enough to press, it is ready. For me this took 20 minutes but I would start checking after about 15 minutes. 

- Once the mixture has reached soft-ball stage remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Then add the salt and vanilla extract and beat for a few minutes. 

- Pour the mixture into the prepared tray or tin and leave to set at room temperature. (Once it had set I cut it and kept it in the fridge but if you live somewhere cooler and less humid than Thailand it might not be necessary!)

- Don't eat it all at once! (No, really don't, you'll be sick!)