For some reason making good fudge had eluded me. Probably because it’s a temperamental kind of sweet. I’ve even read online that some people won’t even bother making fudge on a rainy or muggy day. I read lots of recipes online, watched a lot of videos and in the end I decided to stick to the Edmonds Cookery book, but to invest in a Candy Thermometer. Yes you can cook fudge and test the temperature by using the ‘soft ball stage’ but why take the risk?

I can’t remember now why I decided to make fudge. They ended up as presents for my friends. My first attempt failed badly. I used the recipe on the back of the Nestle Condensed Milk tin. This recipe actually broke some rules from other recipes. So I won’t be bothering with it again. The fudge never set and was more like a very thick caramel. It got saved and put into some home-made chocolates that I took to a dinner party and which were consumed rather quickly. The chocolates and the fudge both contained salted caramel – which I friend had given to me for Christmas. This salted caramel stuff is evil. You can not stop eating it to start with. But then I decided I needed to stop eating it, as there were lots of baking items I could add it to.

Ok, so onto the successful fudge….

The picture above shows the very last piece of the best fudge I have ever made (as of today). The pessimist in me thinks it was an accident and I will never make fudge that good again. I used the Edmonds Russian Fudge recipe, but added one tablespoon of corn syrup (to help stop crystallisation) and at the very end, I added in some white chocolate buttons and a few tablespoons of salted caramel. Both ingredients melted into the fudge. This fudge was so smooth but also firm, it just melts in your mouth. It is so divine, I am waiting for the right moment to have the last piece.

After such a great success, I decided to push my luck! Ok, I did not push it that far, as the next batch of fudge came out and it was good too, just not as smooth. I made it for Christmas day. But I now have lots of it left. I think it might end up in some baking. As after my amazing fudge I don’t really want to waste the calories on an inferior product.

The picture above shows my all time best fudge on the bottom centred, and my Christmas fudge (which I added some dried fruit to) surrounding the amazing fudge.

It’s the same recipe, except the Christmas batch did not get white Chocolate and I threw in some mixed fruit. It’s still pretty good fudge but just not as awesome. I think that from now on, I will always add white chocolate to the fudge as I’m wondering if that was the difference. Or maybe I boiled the Christmas fudge a bit longer, or perhaps beat the awesome fudge a bit longer. Who knows! Only more batches will reveal the secret.

I’ve got to add, that if you are thinking of making fudge, get a candy thermometer and use Corn Syrup – which you can get from your supermarket.