King's Crown wrote:
> I've tried over the years to make real Chocolate Fudge. The main problem
> has been the crystals. This year I was watching Alton Brown and he walked
> the viewer through making fudge. I thought I followed the recipe to a T,
> but I have weird crumbly fudge. It took a really long time to get the
> thermometer to register 234 degrees and I wonder if I cooked it too long. I
> kept checking to make sure the thermometer wasn't touching the bottom of the
> pan and yet was well into the chocolate mixture. I was wondering if there
> was an approximate time it should take the mixture to the soft ball stage.
>
> Lynne
>
> Chocolate Fudge Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
>
> 2 3/4 cups sugar
> 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
> 3 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing pan
> 1 cup half-and-half
> 1 tablespoon corn syrup
> 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
> 1 cup chopped, roasted nuts, optional
>
> Grease an 8 by 8-inch pan with butter. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine
> the sugar, chocolate, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter, half-and-half, and
> corn syrup. Over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is
> dissolved and chocolate is melted. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce
> heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove the cover and
> attach a candy thermometer to the pot. Cook until the thermometer reads 234
> degrees F. Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter. Do not stir.
> Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or until it drops to 130 degrees F. Add
> vanilla and nuts, if desired, and mix until well-blended and the shiny
> texture becomes matte. Pour into the prepared pan. Let sit in cool dry area
> until firm. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up
> to a week.

I cook fudge to 230 on the calibrated thermometer and then start doing
the good old fashioned soft ball test. As for a set time, I don't
think so, medium heat on one stove is quite likely different from
medium heat on another. The penuche I attempted to make today was a
nightmare. First it sugared and was rock solid by the time it cooled
to 120 degrees F. So I melted it and tried again, ah what a pain to
disolve all of the sugar crystals after the fudge forms a solid mass in
the saucier. Got it right the second time then realized a couple
minutes into beating it that my arm could not take beating the fudge
with a wooden spoon. Electric mixer and about 2 seconds too many and I
had fudge that needed to be pressed into the pan before it hardened
completely in 8.3 seconds. It tastes good but doesn't look pretty.
Minor detail, it won't be making it into the bags of treats for
friends, but I can still enjoy it.

Jessica