When we go to one of our favorite restaurants, Zarzo in Eindhoven, we always get some fudge with the coffee, so I thought I would try my hand at making it. Turns out, it is quite easy.
Easy, but potentially dangerous. I feel the need to say it here, as I have all sorts of crazy friends: you are working with sugar at high temperatures here, and you must always be vigilant. No children, pets, or distractions of any kind are allowed. Read the recipe, visualize the steps, and proceed with caution.
OK, now that you are properly initiated, here is the recipe. I modified (read: simplified) it slightly from here.
Vanilla fudge
Ingredients
- 1 x 397g can condensed milk
- 80g unsalted butter
- 150g vanilla sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
To decorate/flavour
- Smoked salt flakes
- Crushed honeycomb
- Edible golden sugar pieces
Equipment
- 20cm square tin
- Whisk
- Large saucepan
- Sugar thermometer
Instructions
- Line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment.
- In a large pan, add the condensed milk, butter and sugar.
- Melt these ingredients over a medium heat, using a whisk to stir until the sugar has dissolved. Make sure the sugar doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan – if it does, turn down your heat a touch.
- Next, carefully bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Take care because the mixture will be extremely hot. Stir it constantly for around ten minutes, until it reaches 113˚C on the thermometer. There will be small bits of caramel in the mixture if the heat is a bit high, but these will dissolve with the mixing afterwards.
- Take the pan off the heat, add the salt and leave it to cool for a few minutes. Then, using the whisk again, stir the mixture vigorously until it begins to firm up a little – for about five to eight minutes.
- Very carefully, pour the mixture into your lined tin and smooth out. Sprinkle over your chosen toppings and push them down into the fudge slightly.