Chocolate Fudge

How to Make Chocolate Fudge

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1. Butter a 20 x 20 cm tin and line it with baking paper, leaving an overhang.

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2. Put the sugar, evaporated milk, whole milk, butter, golden syrup, cocoa and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil.

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3. Now stop stirring. Brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve any sugar crystals clinging there.

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4. Clip on a sugar thermometer and boil, without stirring, until it reaches 114°C / 237°F — the soft-ball stage. This takes 8 to 12 minutes.

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5. Take the pan off the heat immediately and drop in the chopped chocolate and vanilla without stirring. Let them sit on the surface.

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6. Leave the pan completely undisturbed for about 45 minutes, until the mixture cools to 43°C / 109°F. This is the step that decides the texture — do not stir, shake or move it.

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7. Now beat hard with a wooden spoon. After 5 to 10 minutes the fudge will lose its gloss, thicken, and suddenly hold the mark of the spoon. Stop at that moment.

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8. Fold in the nuts if using and scrape at once into the tin — it stiffens fast.

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9. Level the top, cool completely, then refrigerate 2 hours before lifting out and cutting into 36 squares.

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Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.

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Tips for Making Chocolate Fudge

• A thermometer is not optional. The window between soft-ball and hard-ball is about four degrees.
• Do not touch the pan while it cools. Agitating hot fudge is the single cause of grainy fudge.
• If it seizes before it reaches the tin, add a tablespoon of hot milk and beat it back.

What to Serve with Chocolate Fudge

• Strong black coffee
• A glass of milk
• A tin and some tissue paper

Keeping and Reheating

Airtight at cool room temperature for 2 weeks, layered with baking paper. Freezes for 3 months.

Questions About Chocolate Fudge

Chocolate Fudge Nutrition Facts

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: optional ingredients are counted. How the figures are worked out.