For some unknown reason this caramel-coloured, creamy vanilla fudge is known as ‘Russian fudge’ in New Zealand. It is absolutely amazing; sweet, soft but with a bit of a ‘sandy’ texture, extremely delicious!
When looking at the ingredients’ list you’ll see the recipe calls for a lot of sugar, a lot of butter, and a lot of sweetened condensed milk. Not great for your cholesterol but at least the recipe makes a lot of fudge, and you can always cut it into very small squares. (This does not guarantee that you will not eat a thousand little squares though. That’s entirely up to you. Good luck).
Fudge can be a bit tricky to make, the most important part is to remove it from the heat at the right time, otherwise it won’t set properly. I removed mine earlier than I should have and it didn’t set, so I had to return it to the pan and cook it further until it reached the correct temperature. I used a candy thermometer but ended up trusting my senses rather than depending entirely on the temperature on the thermometer.
Step by step recipe below and list of ingredients at the end of the post!
Grease a tin approximately 15 cm x 25 cm x 3.5 cm deep and line with non-stick baking paper. Set up an electric hand-mixer next to your stovetop, ready to go.
Pour the sugar and milk into a medium-to-large saucepan and place over a medium heat. Stir continuously until combined and the sugar is dissolved.
Bring the sugar syrup to the boil, then stir in the butter, condensed milk, golden syrup and vanilla until combined. Stop stirring at this point and reduce the temperature slightly, to a simmer.
Monitor the temperature closely with a candy thermometer. When the colour starts to get darker (a caramel colour) and the temperature reaches 116°C degrees (soft-ball stage), remove from the heat.
Work quickly now. Place the hand-mixer into the hot fudge and beat continuously on quite a fast speed, until the fudge starts to lose its shine and look a bit dull (about 10–15 minutes).
Pour the fudge into the prepared tin. Continue to work quickly because it sets fast.
Allow the fudge to cool completely and set, then remove from the tin and cut into small squares. Store in an airtight container.
Russian Fudge
From The Great New Zealand Baking Book, copyright © Michelle Pattison
Makes: 30 large squares | Prep time: 1 hour | Skill level: 2 (moderate)
Ingredients
- 6 cups (1,250 g) sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 250 g butter
- 1 x 395 g tin sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
[GF]
Method
Grease a tin 15 cm x 25 cm x 3.5 cm deep and line with non-stick baking paper. Set up an electric hand-mixer next to your stovetop, ready to go.
Pour sugar and milk into a medium-to-large saucepan and place over a medium heat. Stir continuously until combined and the sugar is dissolved.
Bring sugar syrup to the boil, then stir in butter, condensed milk, golden syrup and vanilla until combined. Stop stirring at this point and reduce the temperature slightly, to a simmer.
Monitor the temperature closely with a candy thermometer. When the colour starts to get darker (a caramel colour) and the temperature reaches 116°C degrees (soft-ball stage), remove from the heat.
Work quickly now. Place the hand-mixer into the hot fudge and beat continuously on quite a fast speed, until the fudge starts to lose its shine and look a bit dull (about 10–15 minutes). Using a scraper, pour fudge into the prepared tin. Continue to work quickly because it sets fast.
Allow fudge to cool completely and set, then remove from tin and cut into 5 cm x 5 cm squares. Store in an airtight container.
Published by Thom Productions/Blackwell & Ruth, $49.95
Where to buy the book:
The Great New Zealand Baking Book Project 