Perfecting a Family Fudge Recipe

[FoodManiac]

I have a family recipe to make fudge that, doesn't quite seem to match my memory of what we made when I was younger.
Here it is:

1 1/2 Cups Milk
3 Tbsp Cocoa
3 Cups Sugar
1/2 Stick Butter
Pinch of Salt & Vanilla
Says something about adding salt, butter and vanilla after it reaches 'soft ball'.

My mother sent me a copy of this, but it was a recipe from my father's side so I can't confirm if it's accurate. It seems rather simple and incomplete. Initially it made something like hot fudge topping so, I kept experimenting with the quantities. It's supposed to be firm and granular like a soft sugar cube. In my trials, sometimes it would be soupy, other times like a brick.

I then seemed to remembered that marshmallows were added, so I tried those and it helped somewhat. It's basically corn syrup. I think I'm making progress and could possibly make something close to what I'm looking for but it's been roughly 10 tries and I could use some help before it goes on forever without success.

Anyone have a recipe similar to this or know of a missing ingredient that will make it firm, like fudge, rather than soupy like a topping? Maybe I'm just not accurate with the boil time, usual 30 min will be soft, 50 min will be hard, but I keep changing it up. Any help would be welcome.

 

[FoodManiac]

After a few minutes with google, I found a site that has mostly what I needed. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/old-fashioned-chocolate-fudge/ .Apparently this is a well known recipe and the example given was in the same proportions as mine. There was even a suggestion about adding marshmallows. The problem, and maybe I just need to read more of the posts there, is that the process of making the fudge is almost more art than science and what I read initially was a bit confusing. I guess it has to do with crystallization of sugar and what not.

It says to bring fudge to boil, then simmer and not stir anymore. Then wait until it reaches 238F or when it forms 'soft ball' in water and to stop boiling and add ingredients. Seems this takes practice to get it right but can anyone given some advice on time to boil and what a 'soft ball' looks like. If it's just simmering, would it ever reach 238f? What's a ballpark figure for boiling time? Maybe someone can describe the process more clearly.

 

[monkeyboots]

Hi,
The only similar recipe I could find is this one for Hershey's Cocoa Fudge:

https://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=5303

If you read down below the recipe it gives an option to add marshmallow creme.
I hope you find the recipe that brings back yummy memories and not just a bunch of frustration.
Good luck and please update us!

Kate

 

[connie]

The quantity of milk to butter seems a little high to me. I would have expected them to be the other way around, so 1 1/2 sticks of butter to 1/2 cup of milk
That said cocoa powder fudge recipes seem to have the ratio the way round you have, but use much more cocoa powder, significantly more, as in 2/3 cup of cocoa powder.
The recipe and instructions that @monkeyboots has linked to explains the balling to you. It is a guide on the temperature to which you need to get the fudge when you are cooking it which controls the hardness/softness of your fudge. I would suggest you read it. How set it is will depend on how long you 'boil' the mixture for. The longer you cook the fudge topping the harder it will be.

 

[FoodManiac]

I read thru many posts about how to make the fudge, from Hershey's site and others, then proceeded to give it a shot. It was a success! I used my recipe but, it was a little too much for my pot so I had to dump some out before I began to boil. I bought a candy thermometer and let it boil, without stirring, for about 55 mins. I was concerned because, it was longer than I had ever tried before but, I wanted to wait until it hit 235F. The difference now is that I know to let it cool before adding finishing ingredients, then stir like mad for about 5 min. I let it set overnight and could cut it into squares the next day. Thanks everyone for suggestions. I'm sure I'll experiment with variations of the recipe in the future.

 

[DancingLady]

Check the weather when you are masking it. As crazy as it sounds, humidity can really affect candy. I have very little experience with making fudge, so I can't say for sure if this is affecting your results, but I would recommend not making it on a rainy or humid day if possible.

 

[ChesterV]

For the amount of sugar in this, there really isn't very much cocoa in it.

I also agree that there seems to be too much butter, I would increase the cocoa to half a cup for that amount of sugar and butter.

I've also seen some people add whipped egg whites to their fudge batter. I don't think my granny ever did that, but who knows....

I did have an Aunt who make Rocky Road fudge by putting mini marshmallows, pecans, and peanuts in her fudge.

You can also add a small container of sour cream to your fudge to cut the sweet from it.

If you use salt, make sure its melted into a spoonful of hot water before you add it to the batter, otherwise it can stay grainy.