Fudge
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This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2008) |
 Fruit fudge |
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| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Alternative name(s) | Double Chocolate |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Details | |
| Type | Confectionery |
| Serving temperature | Room temperature |
| Main ingredient(s) | Sugar, butter, milk |
| Variations | Multiple |
| Approximate calories per serving |
a 100 gram serving may have over 450 calories |
Fudge is a type of Western confectionery, which is usually soft, sweet and rich. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk, heating it to the soft-ball stage at 240 °F (116 °C) and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency. Many variations with other flavorings are made, such as chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, and maple fudge. Nuts can also be added, such as in the flavour "maple walnut", and some recipes call for candied fruit.
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Origins [edit]
American-style fudge (containing chocolate) is found in a letter written by Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a student at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She wrote that her schoolmate's cousin made fudge in Baltimore, Maryland in 1886 and sold it for 40 cents a pound. Hartridge obtained the fudge recipe, and in 1888, made 30 lb (14 kg) of fudge for the Vassar College Senior Auction. This Vassar fudge recipe became quite popular at the school for years to come.[1]
Word of this popular confectionery spread to other women's colleges. For example, Wellesley and Smith have their own versions of a fudge recipe dating from the late 19th or early 20th century.[2]
In the late 19th century shops on Mackinac Island in Michigan began to produce similar products for sale to summer vacationers. Fudge is still produced in some of the original shops on Mackinac Island and the surrounding area. Mackinac Island Fudge ice cream, a vanilla ice cream with chunks of fudge blended in, is also very common in this region and across the United States.
Chemistry [edit]
In forming a fondant, it is not easy to keep all vibrations and seed crystals from causing rapid crystallization to large crystals. Consequently, milkfat and corn syrup are often added. Corn syrup contains glucose, fructose (monosaccharides) and maltose (disaccharide). These sugars interact with the sucrose molecules. They help prevent premature crystallization by inhibiting sucrose crystal contact. The fat also helps inhibit rapid crystallization. Controlling the crystallization of the supersaturated sugar solution is the key to smooth fudge. Initiation of crystals before the desired time will result in fudge with fewer, larger sugar grains. The final texture will have a grainy mouthfeel rather than the smooth texture of high quality fudge.
One of the most important attributes of fudge is its texture. The end-point temperature separates hard caramel from fudge. The higher the peak temperature, the more sugar is dissolved and the more water is evaporated, resulting in a higher sugar-to-water ratio. Before the availability of cheap and accurate thermometers, cooks would use the ice water test, also known as the cold water test, to determine the saturation of the confection. Fudge is made at the "soft ball" stage, which varies by altitude and ambient humidity from 235 °F (113 °C) to 240 °F (116 °C).
Some recipes call for making fudge with prepared marshmallows as the sweetener. This allows the finished confection to use the structure of the marshmallow for support instead of relying on the crystallization of the sucrose.
Sample recipe [edit]
From The London Fudge Company, this recipe will make approximately 1 kilogram of fudge. You will need a large deep pan, as the fudge must be cooked at a rolling boil and may over flow. Put 2 pints of milk, 1 k of sugar, 1/8 k butter a tablespoon of vanilla essence and a table spoon of glucose or corn syrup in the pan and slowly bring to a rolling boil. Once it is boiling do not stir, although you may need to, occasionally, checking that it is not sticking on the bottom, if it is then turn the heat down a tiny bit but it must still boil.
The fudge will gradually thicken and become gooey. Once the bubbles are larger and the mixture is thick you need to do a "soft ball" test. Drop a small spoonful into very cold water and if you can scoop it up into a ball with your fingers and you can lift the ball out of the water and it keeps shape then the fudge is ready for the next stage.
The fudge needs to be left alone and allowed to cool until it is cool enough to touch, but not cold enough to set. The most efficient way to do this is to pour the hot fudge onto a cool surface like a granite or marble worktop. If you can make a line in the fudge and the line takes longer than 5 seconds to fill back up then it is ready to mix. Once the fudge is cooled enough you need to mix it until it becomes creamy and has lost its shine. If you are working on a cool surface then you can mix the fudge and work it into a slab. If you are working in a mixing bowl or the pan then you will need to pour the fudge, once it goes opaque but before it is setting, into your container, then you can smooth it out.
Hot fudge [edit]
Hot fudge in the United States and Canada is usually considered to be a chocolate product often used as a topping for ice cream in a heated form, particularly sundaes and parfaits. It may also occasionally be used as a topping for s'mores. It is a thick, chocolate-flavored syrup (flavored with real or artificial flavorings) similar in flavor and texture to chocolate fudge, except less viscous.
See also [edit]
- Toffee
- Condensed milk
- Clotted cream - a probable precursor, with no added sugar, from Devon and Cornwall in England
- Praline - a confection using similar flavors as original fudge
- Scots tablet - Scottish confection with similar recipe
- Krówki - Polish confection similar to fudge
- Penuche - a type of fudge typically found in New England and the Southern United States
- Knäck - a Swedish toffee confection
- Sherbet - a Central Asian dessert similar to fudge
References [edit]
- ^ Benning, Lee Edwards (1993) [1990]. Oh Fudge!: A Celebration of America's Favorite Candy. New York: Owl Books. ISBN 0-8050-2546-4. pp. 3–18.
- ^ Werner's Readings and Recitations, Volume 54 by Edgar S. Werner 1915 Edgar S. Werner and Co ISBN 1-145-32274-3, page 159. Accessed March 14, 2011
- Jones, Charlotte Foltz (1991). Mistakes That Worked. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-26246-9.
External links [edit]
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Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fudge |
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