Fudge

[Trailpal]

I had no idea how simple this can be! I was looking for some other recipe online, and saw references to fudge, but no recipe, although somebody referred to "one on the back of the can".

I went to the baking aisle and found the sweetened condensed milk - none of the brands had a fudge recipe! Oh No! So I asked a lady standing nearby. Oh, she lit up with such a smile! Her husband makes it and she told me how, listed some variations with cherries and fluff - but here is the recipe:

Basic Fudge
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 bag Chocolate chips - whatever you like (milk chocloate, semi-sweet, mint/choco etc.)
In a heavy glass bowl, put the sweetened condensed milk and microwave til it just starts to bubble - about 1m 30sec or so, depending on your microwave. Dump a whole bag of chips (and whatever else you want to add) in and stir thoroughly. Pour into an 8X8 inch pan or equivalent (no grease needed) and let cool or refrigerate. Cut into little squares.

I added Vanilla, about 1.5 t when I added the chips - Vanilla makes everything better! I also added about half a cup of chopped pecans.

You can also add marischino cherries and marshmallow fluff along with the nuts, I think this is what she called "Rocky Road"

[Deleted]

How does that come out? I know the popular thing now is with some marshmallow fluff and I really don't like that stuff, always seems gritty to me. My mother used to make a heavy but smoooooth fudge and I know it was a very simple recipe. I'm thinking this one might be it.

[snaffle]

The secret to vanilla is to buy a good brand.. watkins or rawleigh.. it costs a little more.
some day I want to buy vanilla beans and make my own!!!

[MJ]

What about Mexican Vanilla, I love the flavor but it is very strong and you need to use a little less than is called for. Are you saying that this would be good vanilla or not?

MJ

[Mary Ann]

If you want good vanilla, use some from Madagascar.

Oh, and snaffle, I don't believe that the Watkins vanilla is real. All I've ever seen them have is synthetic.

And it's easy to make your own! Buy a vanilla bean and split it down the middle with a really sharp knife. Then place it in good vodka and wait a few weeks. The higher the ratio of beans to booze, the richer. And when you use up all the liquid, you can top it off again and use the beans once more.

T-leigh, I'd be surprised if the fluff kind was making the fudge gritty unless the person making it got it too hot and caused the sugar to crystallize again. I agree; I dislike gritty fudge too. Heather made some this year, a wonderful mocha fudge and an Oreo fudge, and they were as silky as one could ever ask. But I don't know her recipes.

[bluemouse]

I've used Mexican vanilla for a long time but just learned via Alton Brown/Good Eats that while their beans can be good, you should never ever use vanilla extract from there because it can contain carcinogens. Guess I'll have to find some from Madagascar...

[Trailpal]

Sorry, I haven't visited the recipe board for awhile!

The batch I made came out with no grittiness at all. I think it's because the sugar is already dissolved in the Sweetened Condensed Milk - don't boil it, just heat til it starts to bubble - and the chocolate chips just melt in the heat of the hot milk. The quality of the chocolate chips may have something to do with it - I used Hershey - the generics never feel right in my mouth, so I would stay away from them. The folks who gave me the recipe left out the vanilla all together, but I think Vanilla always enriches flavors, so I put it in and loved it.

I got an 8oz bottle of "Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract" at walmart for around $8.50, the ingredients are Vanilla Bean Extractives in Water, Alcohol (35%) and Sugar. It probably isn't as good as getting the bean and doing the vodka, but I haven't found any place local to buy vanilla beans.

I'm not a big fan of the over-sweet, so I doubt I'd try the marshmallow stuff - but they described it as just melting in the heat of the milk too, so I wouldn't think it would get gritty. Sounds like somebody needs to research this question

[bluemouse]

I never use any chocolate chips except Ghirardelli. Once you've tasted those, even Hershey's tastes generic.

[Trailpal]

yes, Hershy is about the lowest I will go. I tried some generic just for snacking once and they were nasty.

[Mary Ann]

I do think it makes sense to at least try the generic versions of things. They're often just fine. I live down the road from a Del Monte packing plant. Corn goes in, and corn comes out in lots and lots of shiny silver cans. Then labels are put on the cans; labels for Del Monte, store labels, and generic labels. Often they are indistinguishable from each other when you open them.

Why pay extra for someone's advertising and marketing if you don't have to?

But yes, I only do the Ghirardelli chips too. They're much silkier.

As far as the 'research' goes, I know that from scratch fudge will get gritty if you overbeat it.