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Kenny's Fudge

Source of Recipe

My father-in-law


Recipe Introduction

This is a dark, grainy fudge. My husband and his siblings love it, so I agreed to post the recipe for posterity - even though it isn't MY idea of fudge ;)!I confess that I have had no success at making this fudge. I decided to try it this Xmas (2004) as a surprise for my in laws, but I couldn’t make it work. My father-in-law’s recipe reads ‘two packages’ of chocolate, so I used two boxes. Mike says that the flavor is right, but the texture is wrong. The good news is I think that I have cracked the code for Tootsie Rolls! MIL says ‘no, it’s two SQUARES of chocolate’. So I tried that. No go. What I got was the consistency of a really thick ganache. I have tried to cook it to medium ball also. That didn’t do any good either. What I think is that this evil fudge knows in its gritty, bitter little heart that I despise it and just refuses to work for me, ;)! So I’ll leave this in here for posterity, but some one else will have to try it next time!

List of Ingredients

2 pkg. Baker's unsweetened chocolate
1 T. butter
1 c. evaporated milk
2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla



Recipe

Put everything but vanilla into a saucepan. Cook to soft ball stage. Stir in vanilla and beat until stiff. Spread in buttered dish and cool.

December 2005 UPDATE:
OK, I was prevailed upon to try this again this year. My brother-in-law, Brian said that he would only come home (he lives in Arizona) for Christmas if I promised to make the fudge. I think I have finally cracked the code, with some help from ‘The Joy of Cooking’. Their recipe for Fudge Cockaigne has basically the same ingredients as this fudge, but the directions are different. I did use 4 oz. of chocolate instead of 2 oz. You bring the milk, sugar and chocolate to a boil (they also add 1/8 t. salt and I stirred the whole time) and cover with lid for 2 – 3 minutes. Uncover the pan and bring it to the soft ball stage (234 degrees), WITHOUT STIRRING. Carefully, without jostling the pan, remove from the heat and cool to 110 degrees (you can plate the hot pan in a large pan of cold water until you reach 110 degrees). Add the butter and beat fudge partially. Add the vanilla and then beat until it begins to lose its sheen and thickens (the fudge should hold its shape when the spoon is turned over). This takes for-freakin-ever; I let Mr. Kim do that part. It is still too creamy – the in laws like it good and dry, so I am just leaving it out to ‘cure’, covered with wax paper.