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.

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.

Don't know it it was overcooked. You could have undercooked
it, too.

In any case, have you calibrated your thermometer? Either
measuse boiling water and make sure it reads 212F/100C at
sea level, or, measure ice water and make sure it reads
32F/0C.

Also, I always make sure I have more than one thermo
at hand. They're cheap, and if you have more than
one you can quickly cross check things. They dp break,
even the expensive ones. Usually right at the worst
possible time.

--
Reg

Reg wrote:
> 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.

I think it would depend on your pan, but you don't want it to heat up
very quickly. Just moderately quickly. Getting a heavy bottom pan
(saucier) might help.

these instructions might also help

1. Combine milk and chocolate in medium-size heavy saucepan; cook
over low
heat until chocolate is melted. Add sugar, corn syrup and salt and
cook,
stirring constantly, to boiling.
2. Cook, without stirring to 234F on a candy thermometer. (A
teaspoonful
of syrup will form a soft ball when dropped into cold water.) Remove
from
heat at once. Add vanilla and butter or margarine, but do not stir
in.*
3. Cool mixture in pan to 110F-120F, or until lukewarm; beat with
wooden spoon
until mixture thickens and begins to lose its gloss. (This will take
about
15 minutes.)
4. Spread in a buttered 8x8x2" pan. Let stand until set and cool;
cut into
squares. Makes about 2 pounds.

*Stirring makes grainy fudge. (So does stirring before it cools to
luke warm.)

> Don't know it it was overcooked. You could have undercooked
> it, too.

Overcooking could possibly do it. Undercooking would not allow it to
set up.

> In any case, have you calibrated your thermometer? Either
> measuse boiling water and make sure it reads 212F/100C at
> sea level, or, measure ice water and make sure it reads
> 32F/0C.
>
> Also, I always make sure I have more than one thermo
> at hand. They're cheap, and if you have more than
> one you can quickly cross check things. They dp break,
> even the expensive ones. Usually right at the worst
> possible time.

I like my digital thermometer. I hang it from the exhaust cover so it
is in the fudge, but not touching the pan.

> --
> Reg

denise~* wrote:

> Reg wrote:
>
> Overcooking could possibly do it. Undercooking would not allow it to
> set up.
>

There are degrees of setting up. It's not an either/or kind
of thing.

The other possibility is that the temperature of the
final stir wasn't right. That would effect the texture,
too. If it's a bad or misread thermometer it could be
some combination of the two.

>
>>In any case, have you calibrated your thermometer? Either
>>measuse boiling water and make sure it reads 212F/100C at
>>sea level, or, measure ice water and make sure it reads
>>32F/0C.
>>
>>Also, I always make sure I have more than one thermo
>>at hand. They're cheap, and if you have more than
>>one you can quickly cross check things. They dp break,
>>even the expensive ones. Usually right at the worst
>>possible time.
>
>
> I like my digital thermometer. I hang it from the exhaust cover so it
> is in the fudge, but not touching the pan.

That's a good one!

--
Reg

"Reg" > wrote in message
et...
> 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.
>
> Don't know it it was overcooked. You could have undercooked
> it, too.
>
> In any case, have you calibrated your thermometer? Either
> measuse boiling water and make sure it reads 212F/100C at
> sea level, or, measure ice water and make sure it reads
> 32F/0C.
>
> Also, I always make sure I have more than one thermo
> at hand. They're cheap, and if you have more than
> one you can quickly cross check things. They dp break,
> even the expensive ones. Usually right at the worst
> possible time.
>
> --
> Reg

Thanks Reg for the tips on how to test my thermometer as I was wondering how
to do it. It is definitely suspect. 2nd batch of fudge is done and after
45 minutes it was only at 220 degrees not the 234 and I was trying the old
school way of dropping balls of fudge into cold water. This batch though
seems too soft. I'm going to keep going until I get this right. Keep the
tips coming.

Lynne

King's Crown wrote:

> Thanks Reg for the tips on how to test my thermometer as I was wondering how
> to do it. It is definitely suspect. 2nd batch of fudge is done and after
> 45 minutes it was only at 220 degrees not the 234 and I was trying the old
> school way of dropping balls of fudge into cold water. This batch though
> seems too soft. I'm going to keep going until I get this right. Keep the
> tips coming.

Yep. 45 minutes sounds too long. We have an instrumentation
problem here, methinks. Give the calibration test a
try. You may find your thermo is shot.

Now we know what to get Lynne for Christmas...

--
Reg

"Reg" > wrote in message
. net...
> King's Crown wrote:
>
>> Thanks Reg for the tips on how to test my thermometer as I was wondering
>> how to do it. It is definitely suspect. 2nd batch of fudge is done and
>> after 45 minutes it was only at 220 degrees not the 234 and I was trying
>> the old school way of dropping balls of fudge into cold water. This
>> batch though seems too soft. I'm going to keep going until I get this
>> right. Keep the tips coming.
>
> Yep. 45 minutes sounds too long. We have an instrumentation
> problem here, methinks. Give the calibration test a
> try. You may find your thermo is shot.
>
> Now we know what to get Lynne for Christmas...
>
> --
> Reg
>
I tested it with the boiling water and it climbed right up to 212 degrees F.
So, I don't know what's going on. The 2nd batch of fudge is cooled and
holding shape well. It pretty tasty too. It is on the soft side, but I
tested stacking 2 rows on a plate and they haven't formed into one. haha.
I'll check again tomorrow before I put any on the cookie trays. The 2nd
recipe I used was different as I had no more unsweetened chocolate, but I
did have some cocoa powder.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge
Yields: 60 servings

2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan. Set aside.
2.Combine sugar, cocoa and milk in a medium saucepan. Stir to blend, then
bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer. Do not stir
again.
3.Place candy thermometer in pan and cook until temperature reaches 238
degrees F(114 degrees C). If you are not using a thermometer, then cook
until a drop of this mixture in a cup of cold water forms a soft ball. Feel
the ball with your fingers to make sure it is the right consistency. It
should flatten when pressed between your fingers.
4.Remove from heat. Add butter or margarine and vanilla extract. Beat with a
wooden spoon until the fudge loses its sheen. Do not under beat.
5.Pour into prepared pan and let cool. Cut into about 60 squares.

King's Crown wrote:

> I tested it with the boiling water and it climbed right up to 212 degrees F.
> So, I don't know what's going on. The 2nd batch of fudge is cooled and
> holding shape well. It pretty tasty too. It is on the soft side, but I
> tested stacking 2 rows on a plate and they haven't formed into one. haha.

Funny... I had that exact problem the other night with
a batch of pecan caramel patties. I stacked them in layers
between sheets of wax paper and they still found a way
to connect into one big piece by morning. A little work
with some kitchen shears fixed things, but what a pain.

Glad to hear the 2nd batch did well.

--
Reg

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

On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 22:49:34 -0800, "King's Crown"
> wrote:

>
>"Reg" > wrote in message
.net...
>> King's Crown wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks Reg for the tips on how to test my thermometer as I was wondering
>>> how to do it. It is definitely suspect. 2nd batch of fudge is done and
>>> after 45 minutes it was only at 220 degrees not the 234 and I was trying
>>> the old school way of dropping balls of fudge into cold water. This
>>> batch though seems too soft. I'm going to keep going until I get this
>>> right. Keep the tips coming.
>>
>> Yep. 45 minutes sounds too long. We have an instrumentation
>> problem here, methinks. Give the calibration test a
>> try. You may find your thermo is shot.
>>
>> Now we know what to get Lynne for Christmas...
>>
>> --
>> Reg
>>
>I tested it with the boiling water and it climbed right up to 212 degrees F.
>So, I don't know what's going on. The 2nd batch of fudge is cooled and
>holding shape well. It pretty tasty too. It is on the soft side, but I
>tested stacking 2 rows on a plate and they haven't formed into one. haha.
>I'll check again tomorrow before I put any on the cookie trays. The 2nd
>recipe I used was different as I had no more unsweetened chocolate, but I
>did have some cocoa powder.
>
>Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge
>Yields: 60 servings
>
>2 cups white sugar
>1/2 cup cocoa
>1 cup milk
>4 tablespoons butter
>1 teaspoon vanilla extract
>
>1.Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan. Set aside.
>2.Combine sugar, cocoa and milk in a medium saucepan. Stir to blend, then
>bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer. Do not stir
>again.
>3.Place candy thermometer in pan and cook until temperature reaches 238
>degrees F(114 degrees C). If you are not using a thermometer, then cook
>until a drop of this mixture in a cup of cold water forms a soft ball. Feel
>the ball with your fingers to make sure it is the right consistency. It
>should flatten when pressed between your fingers.
>4.Remove from heat. Add butter or margarine and vanilla extract. Beat with a
>wooden spoon until the fudge loses its sheen. Do not under beat.
>5.Pour into prepared pan and let cool. Cut into about 60 squares.
>

Y'know, I think I have a problem with the instruction "reduce heat and
simmer". You don't want it to just "simmer" you want it to boil fairly
vigorously. It should take no more than 10 minutes to reach a soft
ball stage. Try it without reducing the heat, keeping the candy at a
rolling boil. You may have better luck that way.

Cathy

"cathy" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 22:49:34 -0800, "King's Crown"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Reg" > wrote in message
y.net...
>>> King's Crown wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks Reg for the tips on how to test my thermometer as I was
>>>> wondering
>>>> how to do it. It is definitely suspect. 2nd batch of fudge is done
>>>> and
>>>> after 45 minutes it was only at 220 degrees not the 234 and I was
>>>> trying
>>>> the old school way of dropping balls of fudge into cold water. This
>>>> batch though seems too soft. I'm going to keep going until I get this
>>>> right. Keep the tips coming.
>>>
>>> Yep. 45 minutes sounds too long. We have an instrumentation
>>> problem here, methinks. Give the calibration test a
>>> try. You may find your thermo is shot.
>>>
>>> Now we know what to get Lynne for Christmas...
>>>
>>> --
>>> Reg
>>>
>>I tested it with the boiling water and it climbed right up to 212 degrees
>>F.
>>So, I don't know what's going on. The 2nd batch of fudge is cooled and
>>holding shape well. It pretty tasty too. It is on the soft side, but I
>>tested stacking 2 rows on a plate and they haven't formed into one. haha.
>>I'll check again tomorrow before I put any on the cookie trays. The 2nd
>>recipe I used was different as I had no more unsweetened chocolate, but I
>>did have some cocoa powder.
>>
>>Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge
>>Yields: 60 servings
>>
>>2 cups white sugar
>>1/2 cup cocoa
>>1 cup milk
>>4 tablespoons butter
>>1 teaspoon vanilla extract
>>
>>1.Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan. Set aside.
>>2.Combine sugar, cocoa and milk in a medium saucepan. Stir to blend, then
>>bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer. Do not stir
>>again.
>>3.Place candy thermometer in pan and cook until temperature reaches 238
>>degrees F(114 degrees C). If you are not using a thermometer, then cook
>>until a drop of this mixture in a cup of cold water forms a soft ball.
>>Feel
>>the ball with your fingers to make sure it is the right consistency. It
>>should flatten when pressed between your fingers.
>>4.Remove from heat. Add butter or margarine and vanilla extract. Beat with
>>a
>>wooden spoon until the fudge loses its sheen. Do not under beat.
>>5.Pour into prepared pan and let cool. Cut into about 60 squares.
>>
>
> Y'know, I think I have a problem with the instruction "reduce heat and
> simmer". You don't want it to just "simmer" you want it to boil fairly
> vigorously. It should take no more than 10 minutes to reach a soft
> ball stage. Try it without reducing the heat, keeping the candy at a
> rolling boil. You may have better luck that way.
>
> Cathy

Thank you Cathy for the tip. I am going to try again today and see if I can
make a full fledge batch of fudge. The kids said yesterday's 2nd batch
tastes really good, so it's not a waste at least.

Lynne

Alan wrote:

> On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:53:00 GMT, cathy
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>Y'know, I think I have a problem with the instruction "reduce heat and
>>simmer". You don't want it to just "simmer" you want it to boil fairly
>>vigorously. It should take no more than 10 minutes to reach a soft
>>ball stage. Try it without reducing the heat, keeping the candy at a
>>rolling boil. You may have better luck that way.
>>
>>Cathy
>
>
> You're right, Cathy. I didn't catch that!
>
> The point of boiling it is to evaporate the water to the
> proper point so that fudge crystals will form when it cools
> and is stirred. Simmering it would take hours!
>

It doesn't take hours I can assure you, though Cathy's
point about variance between stoves applies.

I cook candy containing milk or cream a bit slower
because of it's tendency to scorch. If you crank the
burner all the way you'll have to stir it almost constantly
to avoid scorching.

At a medium setting the recipe mentioned should take
about 20-25 minutes.

--
Reg