Caramel Fudge

Attributed to: Gram Horn

Source: Five Family Cookbook

Description: This would be a part of Christmas treats at Gram’s house.  She always had a variety of sweets but this was a favorite. The recipe originated with Aunt Wilma who was Gram’s sister-in-law. This is a tricky one to make. It was never made with a candy thermometer. This recipe uses the wet method and is carmalized to the soft ball stage. For more information on the methods and stages of carmalizing sugar go to https://bakerbettie.com/how-to-caramelize-sugar/

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes plus cooling

Servings: 12

Difficulty rating: 3

Ingredients: 

3 cups Sugar

3/4 cup Evaporated milk

1/4 cup Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Chopped nuts (optional)

Special tools/utensils needed:

Heavy Gauge Metal Pot, Required: The heavier the pot, the more evenly the sugar will cook. 

Candy Thermometer, Highly Recommended: If you are cooking sugar syrup for candies, a candy thermometer is extremely useful for accurate temperature. 

Long Handled Spoon or Spatula, Highly Recommended: If you do not have a utensil with a long handle, consider wearing long sleeves and an oven mitt or gloves while working with the sugar to be extra safe.  

Pastry Brush: Optional

Directions:

1. In a heavy gauge metal pot, combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of milk and stir. Make sure there are no sugar granules on the side of the pot. If desired, you can use a damp pastry brush to brush down the sides of the pot to get all of the sugar crystals into the mixture.

2. Turn the burner on to medium heat. Stir as little as possible at the beginning just to make sure that all of the sugar is dissolving. Once the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is beginning to bubble, add remaining 2 cups of sugar and stop stirring.

3. Let the sugar and milk cook together. Boil for about 5 minutes. The syrup will move through the various sugar stages as it evaporates and will eventually begin to caramelize. You can gently swirl the pan to achieve even caramelization. 

4. Watch the pan closely as the process moves quickly. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as your caramelized sugar has reached soft ball stage (a soft ball will form in water) or 240° F.

5. Cool slightly and add vanilla (nuts may also be added if desired). 

6. Beat well and pour on a buttered plate to cool.