Fudge is tricky, fudge is dangerous and fudge is best when salted and melting on the tongue.
Tricky because you need a thermometer and dangerous because it bubbles and if you get it on your skin you will remember making it for along time. I recommend wearing gloves! It is not a joke I have a scar to proof that the fudge attacked me and it is not pretty!
Said that I would still make my own fudge any time knowing what is inside and because caramel is so heavenly!
You need tons of sugar, cream and some Maldon sea salt.
- 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, plus more for pan
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- ¼ tsp salt + another ½ teaspoon Maldon sea salt for later
Butter an 8-inch square baking pan; line with parchment paper, allowing a 1-inch overhang. Butter parchment paper, and set aside. Put that one tbsp of butter into a large bowl, and set over a wire rack, this is for later so the fudge can cool easier, set aside. Put cream, sugar, corn syrup, and salt into a deep medium heavy saucepan. The fudge bubbles wildly and needs room to rise!
Put on those gloves for protection. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high. Bring mixture to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Attach warm thermometer to pan; continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture registers 115°C / 238F (soft-ball stage), 10 to 15 minutes. The color turns into golden only after 105°C so almost at the end of your adventure. Do not let the pan out of your sight, leave the phone unanswered and watch, it is wild!
Immediately pour mixture into bowl with butter and leave the sticky rest in the pan it is plenty you get out of that batch. Attach thermometer to bowl. Let mixture cool, undisturbed, until it registers 44°C / 110 F, about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove thermometer. Transfer bowl to a work surface. Using a wooden spoon, begin to gently stir mixture. Add the sea salt now.
Continue to stir, gradually increasing speed until mixture thickens, lightens in color, and loses its sheen, 4 to 5 minutes. It can well be that this process does not last that long, depending on room temperature and humidity.
Pour into prepared pan. Using a small offset spatula, quickly spread fudge to sides of pan, and smooth top. Let fudge cool in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate until completely set, about 8 hours. Grab the sides of the parchment and lift fudge out. Cut into 64 one-inch pieces.
I offered the fudge instead of sugar for the coffee, it was yummy! To shape them like above I poured some of the mass in those silicon forms for pralines and it worked quite well!
