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Lola's Sunday Fudge

Source of Recipe

From "The Pastry Queen Christmas" by Rebecca Rather


Recipe Introduction

"Lola Sale Bade is the ultimate elegant southern woman. She lives in Victoria, Texas, in an impeccably decorated white-columned home, and her daughter, Lauren, who lives in Fredericksburg, is one of my closest friends. She gave me her mother's recipe when I reported that I was searching for great fudge to include in this book. I made the fudge and invited Lauren over to sample it. After taking one bite, silent tears spilled down her cheeks. She told me her mother used to make the treat every Sunday. It was one of late father's favorites. This is not your typical granular, fair-style fudge. It is a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth confection sure to capture any candy-loving heart. To wrap it, I use pinking shears to cut a sheet of waxed paper long enough to cover the bottom and sides of a square or rectangular cookie tin, plus enough of an overhang on two sides to cover the fudge once it has been placed in the tin."

List of Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 ounces high-quality unsweetened chocolate, such as Guittard or Ghirardelli, chopped
• 3 ounces 70 percent bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract


Recipe

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-high heat until it begins to steam. Add the chocolate, reduce the heat to low, and stir until the chocolate melts completely.

Add the sugar and corn syrup. Continue cooking and slowly stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage, 234° to 240°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and salt. Let cool to warm, 110°F, without stirring. (This could take up to 30 minutes.)

Add the vanilla and beat vigorously with a large spoon until the mixture is thick and no longer glossy, about 5 minutes. Quickly spread in the prepared pan. Let cool for about 1 hour, then cut into squares.

Makes about 16 pieces.