Chocolate, vanilla, maple...from its basic beginnings, there are now dozens of flavors of fudge. Photo © Belle Media | Dreamstime.
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KAREN HOCHMAN is Editorial Director of THE NIBBLE.
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June 2007
Updated May 2009
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The Origin Of Fudge
Page 2: The Original Fudge Recipe
This is Page 2 of a two-page article. Click on the black link below to visit Page 1.
The First Fudge Recipes
The “Original” Fudge Recipe
From Emelyn B. Hartridge of Vassar College:
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 1 cup cream
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
Combine sugar and cream and cook over moderate heat. When this becomes very hot, add the chocolate. Stir constantly. Cook until mixture reaches soft-ball stage (234°-238°F). Remove from heat and add butter. Cool slightly, then mix until fudge starts to thicken. Transfer to a buttered tin. Cut into diamond-shaped pieces before fudge hardens completely.
The Wellesley College Recipe
The Wellesley girls added marshmallows:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate,
chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 pound marshmallows
Combine sugar and cream and cook over moderate heat. When this becomes very hot, add the chocolate. Stir constantly. Cook until mixture reaches soft-ball stage (234°-238°F). Remove from heat and add butter and marshmallows. Mix until fudge starts to thicken. Transfer to a buttered tin. Cut into squares before fudge hardens completely. |
Marshmallows from Recchiuti Confections. |
The Smith College Recipe
Here the ingredients get elaborate, incorporating brown sugar (as does penuche, brown sugar fudge) and molasses:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate,
chopped
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, molasses and heavy cream and cook over moderate heat. When this starts to boil, add the chocolate. Stir constantly. Cook until mixture reaches soft-ball stage (234°-238°F). Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Cool slightly, then mix until fudge starts to thicken. Transfer to a buttered pan. Cut into squares before fudge hardens completely. |
Brown sugar. Photo by Matteo Pescarin | SXC. |
Fudge-Making Tips
- Use a wooden spoon for stirring.
- Never put a candy thermometer directly into the boiling mixture. First heat it in water brought slowly to boiling; when it registers 212°F, move it into the saucepan with the hot candy mixture until it reaches the desired temperature. Similarly, place it back it the hot water and allow it to cool down gradually.
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