A call for old-fashioned fudge recipes that produce

[MineralMan]

more granular, crystalline fudge. I miss this. Back in the day, people made fudge the old-fashioned way, using a candy thermometer or more primitive tests to determine the ideal temperature for the fudge mixture before pouring it into the shallow pan or dish to turn into fudge.

Back then, people often made slight mistakes in temperature, resulting in fudge that developed sugar crystals and became grainy, a little crumbly, and my favorite kind of fudge. Today's fudge recipes often containing sweetened condensed milk, are more forgiving, and almost never crystallize and turn into the treat I love.

So, if you have one of the old recipes that requires careful monitoring of temperature, please share it, so I can overcook it a little and get the fudge that suits me best.

As an alternative, if you make a batch using Grandma's recipe and it goes bad and crystallizes, just contact me on DU Mail, and I'll give you an address where you can send your ruined batch, and where it will be savored as it should be.

Thanks!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. There's a recipe on the Kraft Marshmallow Creme jar that I used to use

that tended to produce that kind of fudge. Recently they changed the recipe so it doesn't call for added sugar, but here's the old recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/228782/the-original-fantasy-fudge/

[mbusby]

2. Use the recipe on the back...

...of the Hershey's Cocoa powder box. Works for us every time.

[MineralMan]

3. Ah! That's the recipe my mom used back in the 50s.

I wonder if it's the same now.

[Laurian]

7. That's the one I use.

My mother used it as did my mother-in-law. As far as my husband is concerned, it’s the only true fudge. A bit labor intensive and can be a bit tricky to get the timing right, but worth the effort.

[Runningdawg]

8. It's the one, the only and still like you remember

[hedda_foil]

13. Gotta catch it just at the soft ball stage. Thermometers are for sissies!

[Delmette2.0]

10. Yes!

Except my Mother added two scoops of peanut butter. I guess it would be somewhere between 1/3 &1/2 cup.

Yummy.

[dem in texas]

12. yes, that's the recipe we used

In my early teens, when I got together with a group of my friends, we'd whip up a batch of fudge using the recipe from the Hershey's cocoa box. And it did taste better when it was a little grainy.

Making homemade candy is a lost art, I used to make pralines, divinity and caramels plus the fudge. My mother always made candy at Christmas.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. I am with you. I love that slightly grainy version of fudge.

It's something I've never made.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. I remember that after the boiling fudge reached the soft ball stage,

you had to beat it until it was no longer glossy and immediately pour it into a buttered tray to set up. If your timing was off you wound up with fudge sauce that never set up or it would set up before you got it out of the pan. It could be tricky.

[wendyb-NC]

6. Yes, either of the above happened in my fudge making exploits, when when I was in my early teens.

If it didn't set the "sauce" version, could be used on Ice cream, or for chocolate milk. On the other hand if it hardened in the pan, it was like concrete. I remember using boiling water from the kettle to get the remnants pliable enough to scoop them off the inside walls and bottom of the pan.
There seemed to be a fine line between decent fudge either of the options.

[MissMillie]

9. My memere's peanut butter fudge recipe

3 c sugar
1 c milk
dash salt
1 c peanut butter (smooth or creamy, your preference)
1 c marshmallow fluff
3 tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

9 x 13 baking dish (I use pyrex) greased (or sprayed w/ cooking spray)


Before anything gets put on the stove top, measure out all of your ingredients.

in saucepan, combine sugar, milk and salt. Stir well. Heat over medium heat. (DO NOT STIR once mixture is over heat.) Allow to come to 238 degrees.

Once mixture reaches temperature, add remaining ingredient and blend thoroughly. Pour into baking dish and allow to set for a few hours.

[Staph]

11. The Staph family variation on the Hershey fudge recipe

Hershey's Old Fashioned Rich Cocoa Fudge

3 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk, no substitute
1/4 cup real butter, no substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optionally, 2 to 3 tbsp of crunchy peanut butter

1. Line 8 or 9 inch square pan with foil; butter foil. (I use an 8X11 pan without foil.)
2. In large heavy saucepan (I use a large cast iron skillet) stir together first three ingredients; stir in milk, with a wooden spoon*.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil.
4. Boil without stirring, to 234 degrees F on a candy thermometer (or until syrup, when dropped in very cold water forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water). Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of pan. (This can take 20-30 minutes).
5. Remove from heat. Add butter, vanilla and the optional peanut butter.
6. DO NOT STIR! Cool at room temperature to 110 degrees F (lukewarm). (This can take 2 to 2-1/2 hours). (I've never cooled it that long, but it does need to cool down somewhat -- 10 to 20 minutes perhaps.)
7. Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens & loses some of its gloss. (This can take 15-20 minutes. It really works best if you have someone to 'tag-team' with.) It starts to look more like frosting than a thick syrup when it is ready.
8. Quickly spread into prepared pan; cool.
9. Cut into squares.
10. Store wrapped loosely in foil in the refrigerator.

* It is very important not to use a wire whisk or the fudge will not set up. Also just stir gently, even though the cocoa will stay floating on top, it will mix in as the mixture heats up.

If you want the grainy version of the fudge, then stir the boiling mixture occasionally in step 4, scraping down the sides of the pan into the liquid. Yum!