Day 3 – How to make Fudge (with a Christmas twist of course)

On the third day of Christmas The Pink Whisk sent to me…..Christmas Pudding Fudge

Of course you can make any flavour you like and I’ll show you how!

Just a word of warning – it’s hot, very very hot please don’t burn yourself and keep the kids well out of the way.

Ingredients:

1 x 397g tin of condensed milk

150ml milk

450g Demerara sugar

115g butter

100g Christmas Pudding

To start you need a big pan, bigger than you think, and a sugar thermometer.

You also need these at the ready

A stand or electric hand mixer, an 8″ square tin or similar lined with greaseproof paper, a bowl with your christmas pudding in, a cup of tea (there’s a lot of standing about and boring stirring going on), a pink kettle – no you don’t need a pink kettle, that’s just me!

Place the condensed milk, milk, sugar and butter in the pan and have your stirring implement of choice to hand.

Heat over a gentle heat whilst the butter and sugar dissolves and the mixture melts together.

Now you need to keep stirring all the time, it’s boring but get yourself into a rhythm moving continuously covering the entire base of the pan.  You have to keep the mixture moving to stop it sticking and burning which it is very liable to do.

If it sticks you will end up with dark flecks in the fudge and a burny taste but it’s very easy to do – you have been warned, stir stir, stir and then stir again.

Turn the heat up a little and continue to heat the fudge until it starts bubbling, stirring all the time (am I overdoing the stirring bit? nah, thought not!)

The reason you need a big pan is that once bubbling the mixture comes well up the pan before dropping down again.

Keep an eye on the sugar thermometer and continue to simmer until the mixture gets to 116c, this will take 10-15 minutes, you can stir one handed and drink your cup of tea with the other.

Once at 116c remove from the heat and add to the bowl of your stand mixer or transfer to a large bowl – be careful the fudge is hot hot hot!

Add in the Christmas Pudding and turn on the mixer to a fairly high power.   If you wanted to make any flavour fudge this is the time to add in the extras, or leave them out completely if you prefer.

The fudge needs to be whisked now for a good ten minutes, set the timer.  It starts of runny but starts to thicken up as it cools and as the air is beaten in.  This beating is an essential part to making fudge so you can’t skip it!

Before beating –

After beating –

After ten minutes pour the mixture into the lined tin and smooth the top.

See this bit?

That’s mine

So are these bits!

 Leave overnight to set at room temperature – don’t put it in the fridge.

Once set, remove the fudge from the tin and cut into chunks.

The fudge will keep for three weeks in an airtight container and is perfect for gifts.

Variations – omit the Christmas Pudding and add the following before beating

Vanilla – add 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Chocolate – add 175g melted chocolate

Rum & Raisin – add 2tbsps rum and 115g raisins

Ruth Clemens, Baker Extraordinaire