Maple-Walnut Fudge
[donotprint]
Authentic homemade fudge has officially become my Achilles heel. I started out my fudge journey a couple of years ago when I made a quick and easy fudge recipe using sweetened condensed milk. Last year, I thought I would crank things up a notch and make “real” homemade fudge – you know, the kind with the candy thermometer and lots of mixing with a wooden spoon. It took me three tries last winter before I finally managed to turn out a decent batch of chocolate fudge. Then I moved on to an awesome, easy recipe for peanut butter fudge, which is still my favorite. Now that the weather has cooled, I really wanted to whip up a batch of maple-walnut fudge. Again, I tried twice using the “old-fashioned” method and had no success. The first time the fudge didn’t set up and remained a sludge-like mixture, and then the opposite happened – it got way too hard too fast. I took a deep breath. I had run out of patience with having to toss real maple syrup (not cheap) and tons of walnuts (not cheap) into the garbage – twice. So I went on a search for an easy version of maple-walnut fudge. And… ta-da! I have fudge!
I think I need to accept the fact that I will never be an all-world fudge superstar. It’s not my lot in life. And I’m okay with that. I can still make fabulous homemade fudge, it just won’t be the beach boardwalk authentic variety. But variety is the spice of life, right? Sometimes when we admit our shortcomings it frees us to explore alternatives that can be just as good, if not better, than that which we were originally searching for. And this maple-walnut fudge alternative? Absolutely phenomenal. It will totally get you in the mood for fall. And I am celebrating my fudge freedom by embracing easy fudge recipes and all of the wonderful varieties that I can dream up between now and Christmas!
What type of recipe or technique vexes you in the kitchen? I know I can’t be the only one ;-)
One year ago: Pancake Cupcakes with Maple-Bacon Frosting
Two years ago: Chewy, Fudgy Triple-Chocolate Brownies
Four years ago: Hershey’s Best Brownies[/donotprint]
Maple-Walnut Fudge
Ingredients
- 2 cups (440 g) light brown sugar
- 5 ounces (141.75 ml) evaporated milk
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) maple flavoring
- 1 cup (117 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- 1. Butter an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch square pan. Line with parchment paper or foil, and butter that; set aside.
- 2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, evaporated milk and butter. Bring to a full boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat slightly (no lower than medium-low) and boil for an additional 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
- 3. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and maple flavoring. Transfer the mixture to a standing mixer (or use a hand mixer) and beat the fudge on medium speed until thick and glossy - about 3 minutes. Fold in the walnuts and pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
- 4. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Slice the fudge into 1-inch squares and serve. (Fudge can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.)
- Note: You can find the maple flavoring in the baking aisle where the vanilla extracts are.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This came out perfect. Everyone that tried it said it was the best they’ve ever tasted.
my fudge came out all crumbly, why?
This is the best fudge!!! Follow the directions exactly and yours will too. BEST MAPLE FUDGE!!! Comes so close to the Russell Stovers fudge I use to get decades ago.
Excellent Recipe!
Please indicate sugar for step 1 because I mixed both sugars in this step. I did a screenshot or the recipe and went back to do it at a later time and there was a pop-up ad that went over the step that had confectionery sugar. These two things messed up my fudge..😐
Hi. I’ve tried this recipe twice. Followed the recipe to a T. It’s not setting up! I’ve put it in the fridge?? Hoping that will help. Any suggestions? Thank you
It’s very good. I added more maple flavoring. I’d make it again🖤
Followed directions came out over cooked which cause it to be hard and crumbly will try again using my knowledge of cooking
Seriously people, ya don’t read through the entire direction of a recipe before you make it. It says in step 3 stir in the powdered sugar. So don’t blame ” Brown Eyed Baker if ya messed up..
This was a great recipe and easy to follow direction!!!
Easy and absolutely delicious!
Please change the recipe to say ” add the light brown sugar” instead of ” add the sugar” ! I added the powdered sugar too soon and spoiled 10 dollars worth of ingredients!
I made maple fudge for the first time and I wanted to thank you so much for your recipe. I enjoy making fudge and was asked by a couple of people to make maple fudge. From a guy that lives in Ohio I’ve never heard of maple fudge but I must say it doesn’t taste bad at all.
Really need to correct Step 2 combine the sugar…if I hadn’t read the comments, would have added the powdered sugar as well.
I haven’t made this yet, but just appreciated your note about where in the grocery store I could find maple flavoring. Most recipe/cooking sites expect you to know things like this. Surprise – I didn’t! It was something that came to mind as I listed ingredients and as I read on, there the answer was. This is the type of thing that discourages me from trying to cook most of the time. Thank you!
I have made this many times, comes out delicious every time, followed the recipe.
Thank you my brother’s favorite fudge
Can Maple walnut fudge be frozen? If so, for how long?
I just followed this recipe step by step and as soon as I added the powdered sugar, it all turned to pebbles. Did I heat it up too high? I was at medium heat with slight bubbles, then turned it down a bit and stirred for exactly 10 minutes. What did I do wrong?
I messed up this recipe because the second step says “combine the sugar”. It does not say just the brown sugar. Make sure to take note of that, or you will be throwing out an entire batch of fudge as it did not turn out properly.
Thank you for catching that. I would have most likely missed it.
Think I’ve finally cracked this.! I’ve had so many mixed results over the past few years. When cooking on a gas cooktop, use a heavy bottomed saucepan. I used low heat ie L on the knob to boil it and kept the temp around or below 227F rather than 237. Finally got creamy rather than crumbly fudge when I added the icing sugar and was able to beat it till thick and glossy rather than getting little balls and actually pour it into the pan rather than smooshing the balls together. Yay! Practice makes perfect. So excited. Will be making more for gifts.
I found that my graham crackers got very overcooked in 10 mins in the butter – I stirred for the duration, but I think 10 mins. is too long; will try again with browning them for only 5 mins.
I’m trying to get my baking done early this Christmas , I was wondering if this recipe is for a soft fudge or harder fudge…
I have only found a creamy maplenut fudge that was heavenly at a little gift shop in Sisters, Oregon….
thanks,
katee
A bit of background on Alice Bryan developer of the original Laura Secord Maple Fudge. A graduate of MacDonald College, Guelph, Ontario, Alice was well known both as a bake shop owner and Home Economics teacher at Memorial School, Hamilton, Ontario Canada. Prior to this she was a dietician who developed recipes for corporations such as Laura Secord candy mfg. She was also a well known decorator of wedding cakes for Aussems in Hamilton. She was the Anna Olsen of the 20s, 30s and 40s. Born 1911 and died 1992. Retired 1945.
Sincerely, J.J. Hardy (daughter) I posted a review earlier today. Sorry no photo to send.
Thank you a million times. This is THE original Laura Secord Maple Walnut Fudge my dietician mother developed for them circa 1920-30.. All the other online recipes pretending to be this recipe and using maple syrup are not the original. I had lost this and all her recipes in an overseas move and I am so thankful to have it back. One suggestion is 1/4 tsp vanilla and 3/4 tsp maple flavoring. It’s easy to make and delicious. Thankyou again
I’ve made this fudge about half a dozen times over the last few years…each time it turns out a bit different. When I made it a few days ago and again today, it never turned glossy and thick when I beat it. Instead it turned immediately into little pebbles. I was still able to smush it into the pan and it turned out but I wonder why I’m getting this result. Today as soon as I removed it from the stove, it looked like the butter was separating. This has happened before too. I am following the timing instructions i.e. boil 10 minutes, stir constantly, beat for 3. I am wondering though about the temperature as I am using a gas stove and there is no med-low, only H, L and simmer. I position the temp in btwn H and L but I’m wondering if there is a temperature it should come to? Any help appreciated.
Hi Wendy, It could definitely be that your stove can’t be better regulated, but it might also be how warm/cold or humid the air is when you make it!
Sheesh. Made this again today using a candy thermometer. It took a while to get to 237 but then it went up to 250. I think I overcooked it cuz it went grainy when I mixed in the icing sugar. I managed to smoosh into the pan again so I hope it’s edible. It seems if undercooked the butter leaches out and if it’s overcooked, it turns grainy and doesn’t beat. *deep sigh* I will not be beaten! I will try again.
This is my 10th year making this fudge for a school charity , its always a huge hit, and its conscientious and. Easy.
I made this today as part of my late Christmas baking to send to friends and family,
I found the directions to be very easy to follow, I did use my stand mixer and beat it for probably 4 minutes roughly,
Once in the pan it started to set right away, I did lick the bowl clean!
Have just made this for the umpteenth time, this time for a bake sale to benefit a local animal rescue. If I made it for myself, I’d just eat it all! I think this time it turned out better than ever! Only problem is I didn’t sift the powdered sugar so I had some lumps. Also as I have a,gas stove, it is hard to judge medium heat/medium low. Is there a candy temperature these should be at when boiling? Thanks for a fabulous recipe.
Hi Wendy, I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying this recipe, and what a wonderful cause! Most fudge recipes call for cooking to 237 to 239 degrees F on a candy thermometer. I hope that helps! :)
Easy and delicious. Just like my Nan use to make when I was a kid.
I stumbled upon your recipe for this fudge and OMG!!! The recipe is so simple and the fudge is just out of this world. Many many many decades ago I use to buy Russell Stovers Maple Walnut Fudge and they stopped making it, boo hoo. Well, thank you, I now have a recipe that tastes just like Russell Stovers. I have added this to my Christmas cookie and candy tray’s. Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year!!
That’s so awesome, Carol! I’m glad that the recipe could fill a little void :) Thanks so much for stopping back to write a review, it’s much appreciated. Happy New Year!
First batch of 2017 and it seems perfect. It’s a gift so I’m really pleased after previous disasters.. Practice makes perfect! Thanks for a great recipe.
Is the brown sugar measured loose or packed?
Hi Lee Ann, Always packed unless stated otherwise.
I made this recipe however unfortunately this recipe could not have been tested. It must have been made up. The picture it shows has to be fudge made with other ingredients including white chocolate chips. This did not turn out at all. It came out like crumbly sugar and butter. The texture is like rock candy. You cannot make fudge with out chocolate and if you noticed, this recipe did not include that. I am really displeased as to why people post fake recipes. I bought all the ingredients and it was a waste. I will use it in a cake to make up for it. It’s kind of like candy coated walnuts I guess.
amazing and quick fudge recipe!!
It would’ve been helpful had you specified “brown sugar” in the first cooking step of the recipe…I added both sugars to the pan! Hopefully it’ll still work out. Maple anything is my husband’s favorite!
Agree with this comment. That same thing happened to me too yesterday! My fudge has a nice flavour but is very gritty.
Next time when you have a fail of any kind in the candy or fudge department, quickly turn it into a ice cream topping by adding evaporated milk and recooking until smooth and silky. Store in jars in the refrigerator and enjoy your hard earned reward. Amazing yumminess…is that even a word?
Just tried this. It’s wonderful. Before I beat it with a mixer, I thought it was going to be a sugared mess. But, the mixer made it smooth and creamy. Oh–and I found out at the last minute I was out of maple and had to do without it. So, I ended up with a luscious batch of Penuche!
Batch 2 in fridge. I only beat it for about 1 1/2 minutes on less than medium as it started to go glossy but then pieces started breaking off the ball of fudge so I was afraid it might start to become balls again. It definitely didn’t “pour” into the pan but I smooshed it all down and am praying for a result good enough to share. Any ideas on what I’m doing wrong? Maybe I’ll go back to my hand mixer next time!
Eeeek! Multiple disasters this year…memo to me…do not make fudge Christmas morning to take to lunch! I found my maple flavouring had mostly spilled but luckily had enough to make the fudge but I think I beat it too long with my snazzy new stand mixer past glossy into crumbly balls and now in the pan it has a slick of oil on top. Damn! On to second try…
Hi Michelle
I made this last year for my hairdressers and work Chrismas party and it was devoured within minutes…truthfully! Just wondering if it would work to double the recipe? I’m trying to save time but don’t want to jinx myself. Love your work!
Hi Wendy, I haven’t tried to double this, but if you do, I would put it in a 9×13-inch pan.
Should the walnuts be toasted?
Hi Sara, It doesn’t matter, you can toast them or use them un-toasted.
Maple-Walnut Fudge is my absolute favorite and my Moms too. I’m trying it today, to add to my Easter Cookie Trays. Thank you so much, as a New England Girl it’s just perfect. I’ll be moving to Florida soon. I’m pretty sure there will be no Maple-Walnut Fudge to be found. I’ll be taking your’s with me !!! ;)
Just found your blog I am trying this fudge tomorrow it looks wonderful.
Check out my blog: http://raeganmirickfoodblog.blogspot.com/
I made this fudge as part of my Christmas baking. I always make my mom maple walnut fudge because it’s her favourite. I decided to try this recipe because my usual recipe for maple walnut fudge hasn’t set well the past two years. This was so easy, delicious and set perfectly! My mom didn’t want to share! Thanks for all the great recipes! :)
OMG thank you for sharing that recipe, it turned out beautifully. mmmmm
This recipe did not turn out! Bummer. After stirring the mix over low/med heat for what seemed like FOREVER, I stirred in the remaining ingredients and put in the mixer. As it mixed, it seemed normal, but then the mixture turned into little balls and never changed into smooth. Through it away. Guess I need more instruction on the final, mixing stage, because I don’t want fudge the consistency of “dippin dots”!
I’m sorry, I cannot make this again…it is too good!!! I could eat the whole tray! I will be good though and save it for gifting and parties…I hope.
Have finally found the time and energy to make this…have not sampled it yet as it’s sitting cooling in the pan but I have questions. Should the powdered sugar be sifted before adding? It was a bit lumpy but the beating with the mixer got rid of them. I left it in in the saucepan rather than transferring it to another bowl to beat it…wasn’t sure if staying in the warm pot would affect it adversely. Also my stove is gas and I had to cook it on low rather than medium low as it still boiled away. It didn’t get really glossy when I beat it but definitely became thick but spreadable. I was afraid to beat it further for fear it might separate. Praying for success as I’ve never made fudge before and plan to give this for gifts and make more for our work Kris Kringle party.
I just tried this recipe, when I got to the part of adding the powdered sugar it turned into little balls. I continued to beat the mixture but it never would become liquid again. I put it in the pan anyway, letting it stand to cool before putting in the fridge. The mix looked real good until the powdered sugar.
Any ideas as to what happened ????
Definitely trying this next weekend, I love fudge and being Canadian also love maple and walnuts. Cannot wait. Have never made fudge before so wish me luck!
Why do you butter the pan only to line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper? Does the foil/paper go on top of the pan after the fudge has cooled? Please help!
I find that buttering the pan helps the parchment paper stick; otherwise, it can slide around a bit.
Im pretty good cook but a terrible baker, tried the thermometer versions and they were just ok. This version is so easy, have made it sadly to many times (weak fudge joke) and every time comes out delicious and people rave..
Highly recommend
This recipe did NOT work. we were not left with any form of liquidish mixture remotely in the mixer.
Just made 4 double batches of this for a Canadian booth at a Food Festival. It was a hit! Sold about 280 pieces and ran out. I used about 1/4 cup REAL maple syrup per batch. You do have to be sure to cook it on a high enough temp. Came out perfectly every time!!
do you think it well set up fine if i pour it in mini muffin tins with liners?
I haven’t done that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
If the fudge dosnt pour does the mean I cooked it too long? It seemed to cool while mixing it
Well, if the fudge ended up completely solid before you got it into the pan, then I would say you cooked it too long. But sometimes fudge gets a little thick, so you have to spread it into the pan, it doesn’t necessarily have to be pourable.
I’d love to make this for Thanksgiving. Are there any substitutes for the maple flavoring? I live in the UK and we can’t get maple flavor here. Could I use maple syrup?
Hi Hannah, You could use maple syrup, although the flavor won’t be quite as concentrated.
Just made this! I used real maple syrup and pecans – delicious! Beyond delicious! I cannot wait until it actually sets up so I can have a real taste! :P
Made this the other night. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good! Taste just as good if not better then my favorite candy shop.
My goodness, I wish I could have access to your garbage can! =) I don’t mean to be critical (except in a constructive way), but there’s nearly always something creative to be done with basic ingredients that didn’t quite work the way they were supposed to. If nothing else, dump the mess into a quart of cream, let it sit, stir until dissolved (or use a blender), and make ice cream out of it. The flavorings, sugar, nuts, etc. supply all that is necessary in addition to the cream.
As you can guess, it hurts me to see unspoiled food thrown away. I had a super-frugal mom who was raised by my super-super-frugal grandma who was deeply affected by the depression. Frugality skills have almost been lost in this generation, but I think we’re all going to need them again in our lifetime, and it’s going to be difficult for some who have no idea how to start. I don’t see how people can buy food with their hard-earned money and then throw it away while it’s still edible. But I’ll stop now! Hopefully that wasn’t too much.
Yum! I am making this tonight. I can never resist fudge.
So delicious. I adore maple walnut. It’s the Canadian blood in me. :)
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com/
Perfect or not, I have to say that this fudge looks pretty darn good! My kids are looking over my shoulder, asking me when I’m going to make it.
Pie Crusts! Sweet Tartlet dough no problem, but a regular pie crust not so much. Go figure. Your fudge looks delicious and I’m sure I’ll be trying it.
Every once in a while, I feel the urge to (try and) make fudge. Occassionally I do get a decent batch, but mostly it comes out hard and crumbly. Fortunately hard and crumbly fudge is still good sprinkled over ice cream.
I do suppose I will have to make this now that I’ve seen it! I’ve been dying for fudge and promised myself that I would treat myself to some on vacation…well, vacation was cancelled by tropical storm Irene so I am still need to fufill my fudge craving. This will surely do the trick!!
*I still need…* Hate it when you see a mistake AFTER you’ve hit submit!!
My father is one of those blessed freaks of nature that can make fudge with his eyes closed and one hand tied behind his back. It’s amazing. I’m going to have to share this recipe with him and see if I can talk him into trying it.
Kind of licking the computer screen right now!
I dunno, this looks pretty delicious! I spent a summer perfecting caramels. I bet I tried 20 different recipes. You know which one was the best one? The easy “cheater” recipe! The others were too chewy and stuck to your teeth! This one was soft and buttery….figures!
This fudge looks delicious and I love the flavor combo of maple and walnut!
Do you realize I am trying to watch what I eat? Now this weekend, I’ll be watching these go in my mouth! They look delish!!! Thanks for the recipe! Wonder if they’ll make it if I ship them? My Mom LOVES Maple Walnut Fudge!!
I have the darndest times with pralines! I’ve tried like twenty recipes trying to find ones that taste like the ones from the candy shop on River Street up in Savannah, but nothing doing. I’m a big fan of cheater fudge recipes myself – some of them are so darn good why bother with the hard stuff?!
Boy do I love fudge. This looks so good. Thanks for the recipe. I may just try it.
I am so making this recipe before the end of the year!
I still fail at piping cupcakes! I don’t know what my problem is; I have the right tips, I’ve read the tutorials… It kills me.
I just made maple walnut fudge last night! Yours look amazing. Fudge is definitely not my cup of tea either. But it sure does taste good!
Love that you don’t need a candy thermometer for this! And, looks like we are on the same fudge wavelength this week, ha!
Paula Deen has a wonderful recipe using – of all things – Velveeta cheese – but it is to die for and I don’t think you can screw it up (unless you misread the recipe like I did the first time and put in twice the amount of velveeta that you were supposed to – it was rather gooey and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why until I went step by step over it and realized that I had a much larger block of Velveeta than the recipe and that half of it was waaaay too much) Anyway, check it out – no one that I have served it to could tell that it was made with Velveeta – they loved it!!!
This sounds amazing! I’ve never made fudge myself but I think I might have to now!
yum! that looks delicious.
I’m going to try this-I needed a flavor variation from the Chocolate I typically make (easy method only over here). Pies vex me. I’m just not that great at them. Occasionally the family requests them and they stay right here, in the family.
I love fudge and I love maple, but I’m so allergic to walnuts. If I make it myself I’d omit. But last time I made fudge it was totally grainy – what did I do wrong!? I’m going to try again!
Over the years I have tried to make fudge and finally gave up after my latest failed attempt a couple of months ago (it was great as a cake frosting). I may have to try again with this recipe. :)
Creme Brulee. I’ve tried to make it twice and my custard came out lumpy both times. This and souflees. Argh! Despite the difficulties you had, this fudge looks delicious anyway!
This is my mother’s favorite flavor of fudge….maybe I’ll be a good daughter and make her some this weekend….
I’ve only ever made fudge using sweetened condensed milk as I’m too chicken to try another method and I’ve never tried to make maple walnut fudge. Your recipe and the look of this fudge makes me think that I should.
Thank you for sharing your love/hate relationship with fudge. I too was able to make the kind with condensed milk and then failed at making old-fashioned. This recipe sounds good, I may have to try my hand at fudge again.
Well we are very grateful that you tried and tried again and came up with an easier version of maple walnut fudge…this stuff looks insanely delicious and just screams fall…!
Yummy, can’t wait to make this! This is my first year using a gas stove (my electrical one always caramelized things unevenly) so I’m hoping I’ll have better fudge luck this Christmas.
That sounds great. I love the flavor of maple. And it’s always better when you make it yourself. Nice and fresh!
This flavor combo is my favorite fudge. I usually pick up a piece or two every time I visit a local store and always have the best of intentions to savor it for a couple of days. Usually it’s gone by the time I arrive home.
I’ve tried macarons and while not a total failure; adding high altitude to their already finicky needs makes that effort both a lot of work and a gamble as to results. Combined with the fact that they just don’t do that much for me…well, I’m in a decidedly non-macaron place and I’m OK with that.
What is the deal with Macarons? I’ve never truly enjoyed them, but suddenly they’re everywhere. And, I know I’m not the only one from my informal polls ;).
I agree – I made them once and have eaten them at a couple of higher-end bakeries and they do absolutely nothing for me. I’d rather have a big chocolate chip cookie or piece of cheesecake ;-)
its because macaroons are glluten free that they are popping up all over, I think, I’m not crazy for them either but my doctor wants my thyroid antibodies reduced – i.e. auto -immune thyroiditis- so its no gluten for me
Being 100% Italian, this pains me to even write it but I am a complete failure at making homemade pasta and gnocchi. Turns out dense and heavy every time, not like the tissue paper-thin ribbons Nonna tossed together in a matter of minutes. It’s the stuff of my dreams and the first meal I’m ordering when I see her again in the next life.
P.S. Fudge looks amazing. Might have to muscle its way onto a Christmas cookie tray.
‘Traditional’ Fudge is my kitchen nemesis. I can’t count the number of failed batches, but it’s in the neighborhood of 1 good batch to every 4-5 failed batches. Yet, I keep trying to perfect it. I did start using a stand mixer to do the beating, which has improved the process quite a bit, but determining if the day is too humid or not is still hard to determine. The fact is, nothing beats the creamy texture of traditional fudge. Now if I could just find a way to match the flavor of my favorite ‘coastal’ fudge. I’ve spoken to a number of fudge makers that sell their goodies along the Oregon Coast and none will reveal their secret ingredients – particularly the type of chocolate they use. While I’ve been able (only a few times) to match the texture, I still can’t seem to match the taste. I can’t wait to try this maple fudge though (sans walnuts for me) it sounds really good.
a pinch of sea salt should give you that coastal taste you are looking for .be careful it just takes a very small amount as it’s very course.
good luck
You didn’t need to toss the first trial that didn’t set up….. Keep it in the frig and warm it up to pour over ice cream…..or maybe spice cake! (I have to wonder what would happen if you poured it over the top of a cake and broiled it a bit!) Indeed, pure maple syrup is a thing to be respected! Looks like one more thing to put on my fundraiser “baking” list now!
I have issues with anything that requires a candy thermometer it seems; fudge and certain candies are just out of my reach. Sometimes I wonder if it is my old thermometer, or maybe it’s just my impatience and problem with following directions!
Either way, I eat my mom’s candies, and I make easy fudges to get around it :)
Ohh yes..there is nothing better than homemade fudge!!! this looks WONDERFUL!
I love a good fudge recipe in my life. Yum!
I don’t have any problems in the kitchen, I leave all the harder techniques to someone else :D
I saw the final version had maple flavoring, do you think it could have been the syrup in the earlier ones that was giving you problems?
I think part of the problem was not using corn syrup to control the action of the granulated sugar. It keeps the sugar crystals from going grainy and helps maintain a creamy smooth texture. That’s why so many fudge recipes use marshmallows – they’re mostly corn syrup!
I failed at “no-fail” fudge. Then I found a recipe in Fine Cooking magazine here: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/creamy-chocolate-fudge.aspx. The first couple of times I made it, it was delicious but never got very firm, even after an hour of beating it with my hand mixer. I decided to try it again, and transferred the mixture to my stand mixer. Somehow, it worked! And it was so wonderful, that twice I ended eating half the pan myself…. that and my other cookie-dough splurges sent me back to Weight Watchers when the Holidays were over. Personally, I don’t care if a recipe is “authentic,” just as long as it tastes good.
I’ve never made fudge, and definitely not using a thermometer. This flavor sounds delicious.
Fudge is so tricky to get right but I think the easy versions taste just as good as the scary candy thermometer versions. This looks the perfect colour and consistency.
Oh wow! I’ll be making this sometime this fall. Already starred it on my Google reader.
Caramelizing sugar always makes me nervous. I have to watch it like a hawk and there are always lumps!
Also I recently started canning and I always seem to make my pot boil over during the processing time, which makes the water level too low, which freaks me out because if the jars aren’t properly processed I might kill everyone with botulism! (Ok, that was a little dramatic and not very likely, but the boiling over thing is definitely vexing.)
It’s great that you kept working on making the fudge. I’d say you are a pro at it by looking at this amazingly delicious fudge. Love the idea that it’s maple flavored too…it’s a nice change. The texture of this fudge looks just perfect.
I cannot for the life of me make mousseline buttercream. Pretty much anything that involves cooking sugar, I fail. Also, if you’ve never tried it, ladyfingers are SO hard to make. I know my tiramisu turned out amazing buy I could’ve saved hours and energy had I just used pound cake. Ah, the trials of cooking :)
Sherri- ladyfingers are soooooo easy. Just remember to not overbeat the egg whites. When I make my Tiramisu, I make the ladyfinger batter, line a 1/2 sheet pan with parchment and spread evenly. I don’t waste time with a pastry bag. that way, I just cut the shapes I need for the shape of the pan. Then I use the remants and just fit it into layers. Cuts out so much time. An added bonus-you can freeze the leftovers for future Tiramisu.