In the Kitchen with Harry Potter: Fudge

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Fudge

I have learned that fudge is one of the most difficult things to make. The temperatures must be perfect, and crystallization is a dangerous possibility. But it's not surprising at all that expert cook Mrs. Weasley makes delicious fudge at Christmas to send to Harry and her sons:

"Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge" (Sorcerer's Stone 200).

I have attempted to make the fudge featured in The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook once before. I failed miserably. But today we must make Mrs. Weasley's fudge! So I shall try again.

You Will Need:

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups whole milk

2 Tbs golden Treacle or light corn syrup

2 Tbs butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

1. Grease an 8" square pan and line it with parchment paper.

2. Combine the sugar, milk, Treacle/corn syrup, butter, heavy cream, salt, and cream of tartar in a large saucepan. As you cook, it will expand like crazy, so be sure to use at least a 4qt pot!

3. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the ingredients are combined. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, wash them down with a pastry brush dipped in hot water.

4. Use a candy thermometer and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees. This could take 30 minutes, so be patient, and DO NOT turn up the heat!

5. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 238 degrees. This could take another 15-20 minutes. Be patient, and KEEP STIRRING!

6. Remove the pan from the heat and wait until the mixture cools back down to 115 degrees. This will take awhile (Note: I would recommend going with 220 degrees or so. At 115, it ended up really solid at the end, and kind of in a giant ball).

7. Remove the thermometer, add the vanilla, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture loses its gloss and is very thick 5-10 minutes (Don't over-beat it though, or it will get too hard too fast!).

8. Scrape the fudge into the prepared pan and smooth the top (mine was way too hard to "smooth," I had to press it down into the pan because it was a giant fudge ball...).