An American Culinary Blunder.

 

 

Candy Cane Fudge, Chocolate Mint Fudge, Divinity Candy

From experience, coming up with recipes in the mind, figuring out ingredients and putting it all together can be either delicious success, or “what the heck was I thinking!” failure.  However, once in a great while, a recipe seeming to go wrong ends up creating an amazing yummy mistake.

Take, for example, the origin of the smoothly decadent candy known as Fudge.  When someone exclaims “oh fudge it!”, the word fudge is substituted for the naughty “f” word.  The term “fudged” refers to the failure to successfully complete a goal, the act of cheating, or substituting something that eventually completes a goal, just not the way originally intended.

Fudge is a completely American mistake from the 19^th century.  While its origin seems to have occurred in the 1880s, the name of the confectioner who made the mistake is not known.  However, he, somehow it was known he was a he, was attempting to cook up a batch of French style caramels to sell for Valentine’s Day.  However, he ended up overcooking the ingredients which resulted with a smooth creamy confection that became known as fudge.  Why the name fudge?  Cause he fudged it! (insert canned laughter, and snorting equal to a face palm)

One of the earliest written accounts of making fudge was from Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a student at Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, New York.  In 1886, she cooked up 30 pounds to be sold at a college auction.  Later on, it became a trend for women attending college to cook up pots of this sweet treat, in their dorm rooms, whether rules allowed or forbade, it did not matter.

By the 20^th century, fudge had become so popular that the recipes were being shared overseas in countries like England, Scotland, Wales and even France. Of course, since it was a mistake in crafting French caramels that created fudge, the French call the two confections, “cousins”.

So, how exactly is fudge made? Fudge is made with sugar, milk or cream, butter and added flavorings, the most popular being chocolate.  The base for fudge is boiled until it reaches the soft-ball stage (135 to 140 degrees F), then stirred or beaten as it cools to minimize the formation of sugar crystals. The result is creamy and smooth semi-soft, yet dense, texture, but a hint of sugar crystals is not a bad thing. After cooling, it is usually cut into slabs or bite-size squares.  While boiling, no matter how much you want to, do not stir the mixture until it reaches the soft-ball stage.  Otherwise, it will become a grainy mess of crystallized sugar.

Making fudge from scratch is a time-long process, so, of course, dessert companies, and home cooks, came up with easier ways. Three brand name companies, Carnation, Nestle and Eagle Brand simplified fudge making by introducing sweetened condensed milk into their recipes. Only trial and error will tell you which recipe is good, better and best. 

Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Crème has a recipe on the jar label for fudge, so it is not just for making the classic “fluffernutter” sandwich.  The original recipe for “Fantasy Fudge” contains walnuts, but another nut can be used, or leave them out altogether.  Use the recipe as a basic guide and experiment with other types of add-ins.

Fantasy Fudge

Ingredients:

3 cups white sugar

¾ cup butter or margarine

⅔ cup evaporated milk

1 (12 oz.) bag semisweet chocolate chips

1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation:

Gather all ingredients.

Grease a 9x13-inch pan.

Mix sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring mixture to a full boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and add chocolate chips; stir until chocolate chips are melted and mixture is thoroughly combined.

Stir in marshmallow creme until incorporated. Mix in walnuts and vanilla.

Transfer fudge to the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread out and flatten.

Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Yield: 3 pounds.

Luckily, if candy making is not your thing, fudge is offered, for sale, in various candy shops across the nation, and Utah is no exception.  A few retailers that offer online sales: Wasatch Fudge, Fudge Co., Brittles & Fudge, Startup Candy Company, Fernwood Candy, and the list goes on.  If you live in an area that has an authentic candy shoppe, and most specially creates their own inhouse, then consider yourselves very blessed in the sweet tooth department.

Now what candy is called fudge, is not a fudge at all, but its taste as been likened to the divine?  Divinity fudge is actually a candy with a texture closer to Turkish Delight, marshmallow or a very soft nougat.  Its origin, well the first appearance of a recipe, can be traced back to 1902 and the Corn Products Refining Company with their introduction of Karo corn syrup.  Supposedly the taste was said to be “Divine!”, and the name stuck.  This candy is made by cooking sugar and corn syrup together until firm, then beating egg whites into it.  Add-ins can be nuts, chocolate, coconut, and candied fruit, but since pecans are the most popular, it is often called “Southern candy”.  Replacing white sugar with brown sugar, plus adding vinegar and baking soda, results in a confection called "sea foam"; a crunchy, airy candy similar to meringues.

Will fudge be on the holiday sharing list this year?  Only Santa Claus knows for sure.

Mary Cokenour