Sweet Nothings ...
September 10, 2005 at 6:43 PM
by Ashleigh
Anyway, I bought it and it got me thinking about vanilla fudge.
My mom used to make loads and loads of it for cake sales, christmas presents and to sell in the local Home Industries Co-op. I can remember packaging it up in cellophane and tying the bags with raffia.
When I was married the first time round and ran out of cash, she gave me her recipe to use to make fudge myself. I also made boat loads of the stuff and surprisingly enough the income from making fudge sustained my ex and I for a while.
I'm planning to make some as a test run, together with some coconut ice prior to Christmas this year. I'll be giving everyone home-made sweeties for Christmas. Seb loves coconut so the coconut ice will be a hit in this household :)
Here are the recipes:
Mom's Coconut Ice
4.5 cups sugar
2 cups coconut
1.5 cups milk
- Dissolve sugar in milk and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
- Add coconut and bring to the boil again. Boil for 4 � 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and beat until thick. Pour half into a well greased dish 9 x 6 inches.
- Colour the other half pink and when the white is partially set pour the pink on top.
- Cut into pieces when half set.
Mom's Bazaar Fudge � Basic Recipe
6 cups (1.5 kg) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) cake flour
3 tablespoons (45 ml) golden syrup
1 x 397 g tin condensed milk
1 x the tin filled with water
100 g margarine
1.5 teaspoons (7 ml) cream of tartar
1.5 tsp (7 ml) vanilla
- Mix the sugar and the cake flour in a bowl by tossing with your fingers
- Measure the golden syrup, condensed milk, water and butter into a large heavy based saucepan. Stir over gentle heat until melted.
- Add sugar/flour mixture and bring to the boil stirring all the time.
- The minute the fudge starts to boil add the cream of tartar and stir only to blend. Set the plate temperature to medium high (on a switch marked 1 � 8 set at No 6). Set the timer for 20 minutes.
- Boil the fudge without stirring for 20 minutes. It must boil rapidly. When the time is up remove the fudge and pour it out into a clean saucepan. Add vanilla and stir.
- Beat the fudge with a wooden spoon until it becomes thick and smooth.
- Pour into a well-buttered pan approx 35 x 25 cm. When it begins to set cut into neat blocks. Use a ruler and a sharp thin bladed knife for professional results. Yields 130 squares 2.5 x 2.5 cm.
TIPS:
The reason for not stirring the mixture in the original saucepan is that because it contains flour it always catches a little on the base and you risk picking up some of the burnt bits.
VARIATIONS
Nut fudge: add � cup chopped nuts (pecans, almonds, peanuts) at the same time as the vanilla.
Chocolate: instead of the cup of flour use � cup flour and � cup cocoa powder.
SHELF LIFE: 2 MONTHS