Penuche
A brown sugar fudge from New England, boiled to the soft ball stage, beaten until creamy and set in a tin.
Making Penuche Ahead
Keeps in an airtight tin for 2 weeks.
Making Penuche
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Butter a 20 cm square tin.
-
Stir the brown sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in a heavy pan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
-
Boil without stirring until the mixture reaches 115°C / 239°F, about 15 minutes.
-
Take off the heat, add the vanilla without stirring, and cool to 45°C / 113°F, about 30 minutes.
-
Beat with a wooden spoon until thick and matte, stir in the walnuts, and press into the tin. Cut into 36 when set.
Worth Knowing
- Use a sugar thermometer.
- Do not stir while the syrup boils.
- Cool to 45°C / 113°F before beating.
Behind the Recipe
A fudge for people who find chocolate fudge too heavy. Penuche is made with brown sugar in place of cocoa, and tastes of toffee and butterscotch, with a faint smoky sweetness from the molasses. It comes from the north-eastern United States, particularly New England, where it was made with maple sugar or brown sugar and eaten at Christmas.
The technique is the same as for any fudge: a sugar syrup is boiled to 115°C / 239°F, the soft ball stage, then cooled and beaten until it loses its shine and sets. A sugar thermometer is the best guide. Without one, drop a little syrup into cold water, and if it forms a soft ball that flattens when removed, it is ready. Overshoot, and the fudge sets hard and crumbly.
Cool the syrup to 45°C / 113°F before beating. This is the stage that most often goes wrong. Beating hot syrup produces large sugar crystals and a gritty fudge. Leave the pan undisturbed until the bottom is only warm, which takes about 30 minutes, then beat with a wooden spoon until it thickens and loses its gloss.
Pour immediately into a buttered tin, as it sets within a minute or two. Press chopped walnuts into the top if you like, and cut into squares once firm. Wrap and keep in a tin.
Serving Ideas
Coffee · Hot tea · Hot chocolate · Vanilla ice cream
Penuche FAQ
How long does Penuche take to make?
10 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking, plus 30 minutes of cooling, so allow 1 hour from start to finish. The recipe serves 36.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
You Might Also Like
More American cooking and desserts ideas from Weekly Delight.
Marshmallow Crispy Treats
Extra butter, extra marshmallow, browned butter rather than plain, and pressed lightly rather than packed. Six…
Peanut Brittle
Roasted peanuts in a cooked sugar syrup, foamed with bicarbonate and pulled thin until it snaps. Thirty-five minutes.
Bananas Foster
Bananas cooked in butter and brown sugar, flamed with rum and spooned over vanilla ice cream. A New Orleans dessert…
Caramel Corn
Popcorn coated in a butter, brown sugar and corn syrup caramel and baked low and slow until every piece is dry…
Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler
Sliced peaches under a sweet biscuit topping, slow cooked on low for 3 hours until bubbling and set, with cinnamon…
Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Marshmallow cereal bars made with nutty browned butter and a pinch of sea salt, cooled in the tin for 30 minutes…