Keeping up with the Kitchen Mom: Old Fashioned Fudge

Ok, so I have to tell you a quick story. Since we are talking about making fudge today, lets talk about candy thermometers. If you don't have one, buy one! Unless of course you're an expert at reading the soft ball in cold water.

Not sure what I'm talking about? Let me explain. There is a way to tell if fudge is done without a candy thermometer. I'm just not very good at it.

In previous years I did not always have a thermometer and I would do the "cold water" test. For this test you set up a glass of water with ice in it, ready for the fudge. And when you think your fudge has cooked long enough, you drop a small amount into the cold water to see if it "balls" up. It should then flatten as you remove it from the water.

Well, I thought at one time that I was capable of determining fudge this way. But instead I learned something new! If you perhaps tested your fudge wrong, like I may or may not have done in the past... and it does not set up, you can pour in back into a pan and RE-cook it. The problem is it may come out a bit dry, but it works. (you also can't use this method if you used nuts, they get weird, just saying).

So I'm telling you people, a candy thermometer is your friend. They are relatively inexpensive and can save you some stressful candy making over the holidays!

Ok, so now let's get to the recipe. Follow along to learn how to make this amazing Old Fashioned Fudge:

Old Fashioned Fudge

*Recipe from Grandma (Betty Hall)

Print Recipe

3 cups sugar

1 envelope unflavored gelatine

1 cup milk

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 squares (3oz) unsweetened chocolate

1 1/4 cups butter or margarine

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Butter an 8-by-8-by-2 inch pan, or line it with waxed paper. In a bowl, mix together the sugar and dry gelatine.

In a 3 1/2 quart saucepan, mix sugar mixture with milk, corn syrup, unsweetened chocolate and butter.

Cook over medium heat and stirring frequently, to 238 degrees F on a candy thermometer (soft ball stage), or until a little in cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water.