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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend December 13, 2006 Fudge isn't all that hard (really!) By JAN ROBERTS-DOMINGUEZ for the Mail Tribune There's no deep, dark mystery to turning out a velvety-smooth batch of fudge. It's really nothing more than a fun activity you'd perform alongside Mr. Wizard in a beginning science class focused on controlling the size of sugar crystals. If the sugar crystals get too large, you'll get grainy fudge. Not that that's an earth-shattering problem since most kitchens are equipped with one or more apprentices ready and willing to eat your failures. But nice, delicate sugar crystal formation is definitely something to shoot for, since it yields perfection. Advertisement So here are three basic concepts to keep in mind: TEMPERATURE: Fudge is cooked to the "soft-ball" stage. Unless you're a certified grandmother or experienced candy maker, there is only one reliable way to know when your fudge-to-be has reached this point, and that's by using a candy thermometer. So use one. The ideal soft-ball stage is 238 F, but the acceptable range is 236 to 240 degrees F. APPROPRIATE BLEND AND BALANCE OF INGREDIENTS: Like I said, your goal in making fudge is to end up with nice, delicate sugar crystals, so the mixture won't be grainy. But without some specific ingredients that are natural inhibitors of their size, the crystals tend to get too big. The short list of ingredients that help prevent large crystal formation include corn syrup, cream of tartar, milk, butter and chocolate. You don't need all of them in any given fudge recipe, but the interaction between those that are used form a high-wire balancing act that shouldn't be tampered with — unless you know what you're doing. So if you've got a tried-and-true fudge recipe, don't fiddle with it. AGITATION — WHEN AND WHEN NOT TO DO IT: Some people think that at the point where you are beating the fudge (after it has reached the soft-ball stage and been removed from the burner), you are causing it to harden. But you aren't. Cooling does that. The beating is done to make sure that crystallization starts in as many places as possible. You are actually agitating the crystals into action. Then as the fudge cools, the tendency to crystallization increases until a lovely network of small sugar crystals have all attached themselves to each other, forming an evenly smooth mixture. On the other hand, if the fudge is agitated too much while it's cooling — by jostling it on the counter or moving it around too much, for instance — then the crystallization process will start too early. The resulting crystals will be fewer in number and larger in size. Additional Thoughts: Fudge recipes using marshmallows or marshmallow cream take advantage of the fact that the egg whites and gelatin in marshmallows coat the sugar crystals as they form, which keeps them small and produces an unusually creamy fudge. You can also produce microwave fudge by melting together chocolate, butter and sweetened condensed milk. The sweetened condensed milk is actually a boiled-down, concentrated sugar syrup, and by adding the acidic melted chocolate to that, proteins in the milk become firm. Once the mixture reaches room temperature, these proteins are even firmer, resulting in a set fudge of soft consistency. Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at [email protected] RECIPE: You-can't-eat-just-one Creamy Fudge 11„2 cups walnut or pecan pieces 6 tablespoons butter, divided 1„4 teaspoon salt 3 cups sugar 1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk (2„3 cup) 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or good-quality semisweet chocolate (such as Scharffen Berger semisweet "pure dark" chocolate, Lindt, Tobler or Hershey's "special dark") chopped into 1„4-inch pieces 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow cream Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line bottoms and sides of two 8-by-8-by-2-inch pans with foil and grease well with the 3 tablespoons of butter. Spread the nuts on a medium baking sheet and roast in the oven until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. While the nuts are hot, stir in 2 of the 6 tablespoons of butter and the salt. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Bring the sugar, evaporated milk and remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to a low boil in a large, heavy saucepan, stirring constantly. When it comes to a boil, stop stirring. Clamp a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and keep the mixture at a low, steady boil over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches 238 F, which will take about 5 minutes. While the sugar-milk mixture is boiling, combine the chocolate pieces, vanilla and marshmallow cream in the mixing bowl with the roasted nuts. Have everything in the bowl before the cooking time is up for the sugar-milk mixture. When the sugar-milk mixture has reached 238 F, pour it immediately over the nut mixture. Stir quickly to blend everything. Pour into the pans. Cool until firm. Remove from pans and peel off foil. Cut into desired sizes. Makes about 60 11„2-inch squares. Recipe from "CookWise," by Shirley O. Corriher. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com