Thanks for that information Liza. I would love to try this.

This thread is making me so hungry

Anne in NC - 04 December 2010 12:52 PM

I would like to note, for the record, that the world is in serious need of “The Candy Bible.”

I second that!

If you do try them, let us know how they turned out.

Great pics on the Hungry Moose site!!!

I am SERIOUSLY considering that vanilla fudge!  I don’t really need to make anything else, but I might make “real” chococlate fudge just to put into action the interesting things I’ve learned from your posts.  And then the vanilla for color contrast…plus I’m going crazy thinking of how wonderful it sounds!  I’d make the maple if I didn’t already have the brown sugar.  Maple is one of my favorite flavors on the planet.  Maple fudge with walnuts in it.  I can see it now:  Oh, this edge is crooked. I’d better trim (and eat) it.  Now this edge is crooked…  And this edge!!!

Thank you so much again!!

MJ—do try the fudge.  It’s like a roller coaster, at least for me.  You’re in fear the entire time that it’s not going to work, and then ... OMG!  It does!  And if, by chance, it doesn’t….you can melt it down again and try it over.  Or make caramels.  Luckily, I didn’t have to do any of the plan B’s.  Plus, when it doesn’t work, it’s still yummy.  I made caramel corn last year, and it totally crystallized, so it was grainy and dull instead of shiny, but man oh man, was it awesome. Everyone went crazy for it.  It was eaten in almost record time.  I called it “crusty corn.”  So you can’t fail no matter how it turns out!

Your very welcome Anne,  glad that I could help you out.  I think that if you can make mousseline buttercream, you can definitey make fudge.  You just need to take it nice and slow, and don’t rush it.

Hey, you candy masters, you!

So, Liza’s fudges look awesome, and I’m seriously thinking of making the maple and the vanilla this year.

However, I have a few questions, if anyone has any thoughts: 

Subbing milk + butter for heavy cream - this is the “real” question:

I have a lot of leftover milk in the freezer—can I substitute milk + butter for heavy cream?  (This butter would be separate from the butter sometimes added after the fudge is cooked and cooling—I would still add that butter at that point in time.)  I’ve seen fudge recipes that use milk rather than heavy, and others that use evaporated milk, so I’m thinking it’s possible.

1 c. heavy cream = 238 g = 88 g fat
1 c. milk = 244 g = 8 g fat
1 stick butter = 113 g = 91 g fat

So, I wonder if I could sub about 7.5 T butter (about 107g) + .5 c milk (122 g) for 1 c. heavy cream?  It’s be 129 g and have 88g fat.  [Small update: Oddly enough, I am seeing a heavy cream substitute on the net (including the Land-O-Lakes site—as 1/3 c butter, 2/3 c milk ... hmmmmm?  Doesn’t seem the right fat balance.]

***

Some other sort of curiousity-type, less relevent questions:

Pre-melting sugar

For the vanilla (and other fudges that use sugar) I wonder if it works better, also, to simply melt the sugar (alone) to a liquid and then add warm cream to it, so you don’ thave to worry about crystals on the edges of the pan?

Stirring fudge without first cooling

I have seen several “real” fudge recipes where the fudge is cooked to soft ball, then stirred immediately.  I find this very odd.  What do you make of it?

Whaddy’a think???

Thanks!

—ak

Anne in NC - 04 December 2010 12:52 PM

I would like to note, for the record, that the world is in serious need of “The Candy Bible.”

Ditto

Hey, all, this is interesting—it’s a short piece about the science of making fudge:  http://www2.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF8/871.html

I must add, however, that NO ONE, I repeat NO ONE, has mentioned if they think I can substitute 1/2 c. butter + 1/2 c. milk for 1 c. heavy cream in making fudge (then the “real” butter called for at the end by putting it on top of the cooling fudge).  (My original question is two posts above for more detail.)

Please!  Help!  I have milk in my freezer I want to use up, and I won’t have to buy heavy cream if this will work!

Someone?

Anyone?????

I’m going to call Land o’ Lakes and see what they think, too.  Will report back.  [UPDATE:  The consensus of the food scientists at Land O’Lakes is to not do the substitution, as heavy cream and milk+butter still have different chemical compositions, and they would worry that a substitution would keep it from setting up properly.]

I’m still up for your ideas, though!

: )

Anne, I’ve never made fudge!  Would you be willing to make a tiny test batch?  It might be worth trying if the amounts of water, fat and protein are the same.

Julie - 29 November 2011 01:13 PM

Would you be willing to make a tiny test batch?

No way!  I am way too slack for that.  Fudge is lots of work, and I’m not all that good at it….I spend most of the time being nervous about everything!!!!!

Maybe, in time ......

Okay, I am almost committed to a test now….