I know, I know that we’re all eating much less refined sugar, and that’s really good. I’ve cut down a lot myself, and I feel better for it. But my excuse here is that it is Christmas, and I just could not resist trying to make this. It is only once a year, right?
I tore this recipe out of a magazine a few years ago and last night, I decided to give it a try. Fudge can be quite tricky to make if you don’t have a cooking thermometer (which I don’t), but I didn’t have any problems with this recipe.
You will need
450g granulated sugar
85g btter
150ml milk (full fat or semi skimmed is fine)
170g evaporated milk
150g mixed dried fruit (I chose chopped cherries, currants and raisins, but you could also add candied peel or chopped up nuts if preferred)
A few drops of vanilla essence
What to do
- Line a tin or rectangular dish with baking parchment and brush over a small amount of vegetable oil.
- Put the sugar, butter, milk and evaporated milk into a saucepan and put it over a gentle heat. Don’t stir it, but just let the sugar dissolve.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. It will rise up in the pan, so keep a close eye on it. Stir it occasionally, to stop it burning and catching. If you have a sugar thermometer, it needs to reach a temperature of 114 degrees. If you don’t, keep a small glass of water to hand, and drop some spots of the mixture in. If it holds its shape and you can roll it into a soft ball, it’s ready. Mine took about 10 – 15 minutes to reach this point.
- Take the pan from the heat and add the dried fruits and the vanilla. Beat the mixture well with a wooden spoon. It will thicken and take on a grainy look, which is what you want.
- Pour into the tin or dish and allow to set. Put it in the fridge overnight, for easy cutting the next day.
- Divide into squares, and either wrap the pieces individually, or present them in a bar.
Offer the fudge in a tin at the end of a meal, or parcel it up to give as a gift. A recycled jam jar tied with ribbon works well.
If you do have guests who don’t eat refined sugar, try my truffles, posted on the second day of making, which only include a small amount of agave syrup.
I’ve just been for a beautiful walk around Rutland Water, followed by a drink in a lovely pub, full of twinkling lights and evergreens. When we came out, the village church was lit up in the dusk, and the bells were ringing.
I brought home a nice long branch from the woods, some holly and some ferns, so I will be making something with those for my next post.
Hope you can join me again soon.