In addition to Flitters, Chocolate fudge was another little treat Gram made for us when growing up. On our birthdays and special occasions, she’d always send us a neat little tin-foiled-wrapped package of fudge to enjoy.
Since starting this blog and taking full advantage of me trying out old recipes, I’ve been commissioned by a cousin to make Gram’s fudge. After one failed batch and three others for testing and photos, I’ve finally figured it out! I still wouldn’t call myself the “Fudge Expert” though; I’ll leave that title to my Aunt Lora Faye, who lives on the island of Guanaja, and currently carrying the fudge-making torch in the family.
Working with hot sugar is an art form. It takes skill and experience to know exactly when to remove it from the heat, when to stir, when not to stir, etc. There is more to fudge-making than beats the eye. It’s no wonder I could never get it to turn out quite right before; that is until I found my secret weapon — a thermometer! You’ll see why later.
Steps in Making Chocolate Fudge
Begin with four cups of sugar and four tablespoons of Hershey’s cocoa powder, mixing both together until there or no lumps.
Yes, I know. These have a lot of calories, but you’ll need just one piece to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Then, add one cup of evaporated milk.
This step is where I’d make my mistake before, using the whole can of evaporated milk, but the correct measurement is a cup.
Once all mixed in with sugar and cocoa powder, begin to cook over high heat until it comes to a boil. Stirring consistently while it cooks.
Once it has reached boiling point, grab your thermometer and test the temperature. The temperature needs to reach 240˚ Fahrenheit. This is the secret! Don’t stop cooking until it gets to this temperature.
I used a regular food thermometer because it’s all I have in my kitchen, but there are candy thermometers that you could get.
Once the fudge reaches 240˚, turn off the heat and stop stirring and let the temperature go back down to 220˚ before you stir again.
Then quickly add four tablespoons of butter, one teaspoon of vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and mix well.
These ingredients need to go in quick because you need to get them stirred in before the chocolate cools down too much.
Then immediately add a teaspoon of baking powder and stir.
Without much delay, pour out into a prepared 9″ x 12″ pan.
Let cool and then cut into squares.
Whew! And there you have it. Chocolate fudge like my Gram used to make.
Each time we received a packet of fudge we knew that a whole lot of love went into making each little square. And now I know how much time and skill it took to make them! So this Mother’s Day, I dedicate this blog post to my Gram, who is no longer here, and to my Aunt Lora Faye. Thank you for love shown to us each time you’ve sent fudge our way.
Watch the Chocolate Fudge Recipe Video
Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Sugar
- 4 Tbs. Cocoa Hershey's
- 1 Cup Evaporated Milk
- 4 Tbs. Butter
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
Instructions
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Mix sugar and chocolate cocoa powder until they are no lumps.
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Add 1 cup of evaporated milk and mix well.
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Add to the stove and begin to cook until it comes to a boil, reaching 240 ˚F, stirring constantly.
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Once it reaches temperature, stop stirring and remove from the heat.
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Wait until it gets to 220˚, then add butter, vanilla, and salt.
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Add 1 teaspoon of baking powder and stir.
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Pour out into a prepared 9" x 12" pan.
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Wait until it cools, then cut into squares.
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