What am I doing wrong???

I'm a busy mom of 8 kids - been cooking for nearly 18 years now. I love to cook, bake, make candy, etc. Why can't I make fudge??? I have tried the recipe in my grandma's old Betty Crocker cookbook several times, and my fudge never turns out. It always hardens up and crumbles before I can get it in the pan. I stop stirring right when it starts to loose its gloss, so why would this keep happening? Can some of you candy experts give me some advice, please?

Heidi

Hi Heidi, I may be new to the cake thing, but one thing I do know is fudge.... My fudge is requested all year long and I have won Blue Ribbons for it!!! And the big secret, there is no secret. I use the recipe on the back of the Kraft Marshmellow Creme. Throw out your grandmother's recipe and go buy the Kraft marshmellow creme and follow the directions on the back. I subs. 1 1/4 cups peanut butter in place of choco. when I want the pea. butter fudge. From there,you can get creative and do what you want with other flavors. I've made Key Lime fudge, Dreamcycle, etc..... the list goes on and on. The best part is, you don't have to wait until the soft ball stage, or the hard ball stage, or whatever stage is required for making fudge. It's all on the back of the jar. If you want more instructions, PM. Let me know out it turns out. Good Luck......

I use the marshmallow cream recipe also, works great. I haven't tried different flavors, I am not as creative as enchanted, just the chocolate. I use whatever marshmallow cream is on sale.

a good and EASY recipe I use is just to melt one bag (14oz.) of choc. chips w/ 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, couldn't be simpler! You can use peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, white choc.chips, you name it! heat the sweet. condensed milk and add chips and stir until it's all melted, pour in a pan and you've got fudge!

I use the same recipe as Khalstead. So simple and it has never failed me, and where I live candy making can be a bit tricky. I've had more than one batch of pralines end up being ice cream topping rather than pralines, not what I planned but great poured over the top of some Blue Bell.

This is my go-to recipe. It always works! I'm not sure if it is the same as the recipe from the back of the mmc jar but it is GOOD!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Aunt-Teens-Creamy-Chocolate-Fudge/Detail.aspx

Tracy

The Fantasy Fudge recipe is tried and true by millions. BUT, I would still recommend a candy thermometer! Every stove is different and I've found that I should boil my fudge for a shorter time (maybe 4 minutes instead of 5). I go by the thermometer, and if I dont', I end up with dry and crumbly fudge.

Ummmm, fuuuudge (think homer simpson).

I was at the candy counter of a local department store last weekend. They had apple pie fudge, with chunks of real apple in it.

If anyone has a TNT recipe for this, please post it or send it to me. They only sell this seasonally, but I know I will be jonz-ing for it all year if I don't find a good recipe for it.

Thanks!

Theresa

I use the same recipe as Khalstead, the only thing I do differently is that the recipe says to put the chocolate and the milk into the double boiler at the same time. It thickens up too quickly that way and ends up grainy so I melt the chocolate completely first and then add the milk...seems to end up really really smooth.

I will be making this recipe soon in fact for my wedding favors since it's a family favorite!

hope these tips help!

fudge is affected by the weather along with other things, but off the top of my head it sounds like you are cooking your fudge too long, this will make it very hard and grainy. Calibrate your thermometer and if you dont have one buy one. Using the old cold water in a glass is too unreliable.

Heidi, I'm with you. Mine either turns out so hard and grainy, I can use it to scrape my pots and pans, or it never sits right and we eat it with a spoon.

My sister swears by the marshmellow creme recipe also. I'm gonna have to give it a shot! (See, if SHE tells me to use it, I go "yeah ok whatever". But if CC'ERs tell me to use it, well, then, it MUST be good advice!)

A thermometer is a must, and then if your making "real" fudge with out the marshmallow, just sugar, chocolate, milk, dash of salt,vanilla once it gets to the right temp, then you have to cool it to luke warm, if it isn't cool enough it will end up grainy, but if you cool it down they way it should be, you will have wonderful smooth fudge. Once the sugar is stirred into the milk and chocolate mixture, I don't stir it again until it is cool. I have more people wanting fudge than I have time or energy to make. My daughter-in-law claims the fudge every year at Christmas, my son and grandchildren get other goodies the fudge is hers.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

I always use a candy thermometer and follow directions to a T. Maybe my thermometer is a little off and I need to compensate for that. I'll check.


Thanks again!

I have the opposite problem. More often than not my fudge turns out too soft. Sigh.

has anyone got a recipe for a pumpkin fudge?? I have looked and looked and can't find one. I tried using white chocolate and the sweetened cond. milk w/ pureed pumpkin and it never set up (i wound up mixing it into some vanilla ice cream and frezing..........really good...the fudge firmed up, but was like a chewy ribbon of pumpkiny goodness )

But I'd really really love to figure out a way to make some pumpkin fudge marbled with cheesecake fudge! I've had it at Sam's Club before (free sample) so I know it can be done, I just need to do it for less than $20.00/lb. which is what they were charging!

I've been looking for a regular fudge recipe without the "marshmellow cream" and haven't had any luck. Anyone want to share?

I'm one of those who don't like marshmallow creme based fudge. I don't find it creamy enough and I think it makes the fudge too sweet (lol! since when was fudge never too sweet!).

There's a book called "Who Wants Candy by Jane Sharrock and she has wonderful recipes for all kinds of fudge and other homemade candy. It's worth checking out from your library or buying.

I'm not a big fudge maker because if I do make fudge, I will demolish a whole tray by myself, but my 13 year old boy has been having great success with recipes from that book. Everything he's made so far has turned out SUPER YUMMY!

Tiggy2,

I can give you the recipe from my grandma's cookbook. Maybe it will work for you

I'm another one that prefers fudge without the marshmallow creme. Here's a recipe that always works for me:

1 Cup sugar
1 pkg chocolate pudding mix (NOT instant)
1/2 cup evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
1 Tbl butter

Mix in saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add up to 1 cup chopped nuts, if desired. Beat until thickened. Pour into buttered pan

for pralines, use butterscotch pudding instead of chocolate