Penuche Fudge

[fancydude]

My maternal grandmother had two cookbooks, one was Ruth Berolzheimer's American Woman Cookbook (it was first printed in the late 1930's - and spoke of how so many prefer mechanical refrigerators to ice boxes and mentioned a new product:  Instantaneous coffees!)  The other was the 1950 Betty Crocker Cookbook - I admit it - I stole it.  There are all kinds of notes on the pages next to the recipes  "(aunt) Wendy's 14th birthday cake, a roast for Mother's day 1953…..etc.  There were two editions, hardbound and looseleaf notebook style; the latter was reprinted (in China where else) about 10 years ago.  You might still be able to find copies new.  I like it because it is the perfect balance of canned/prepared products and cooking from scratch.  And it is a picture cookbook, and showed you how to do things step by step, each with its own photo.

But I digress, back to the fudge, sort of .....my grandparents had a dog the exact color of this fudge, and they named her after the fudge - Penuche. (pronounced Penn-ooh-chee) Can you believe Penuche (the dog) would actually wipe her feet on the rug before she came in the house from outside?

I grew up just adoring this fudge.  It was something everyone in my family made at least once on summer vacation, for Christmas or other special occasions.

So, I went to Grandma's today for dinner, (she turned 90 two weeks ago, still drives, teaches Sunday School) and we made the fudge. (She also had a handwritten recipe which used powdered sugar, but I consider that cheating and anything else I've had with powdered sugar, I really didn't care for) I paid very close attention to everything we did and feel confident I can make it myself.  I should also say I got to have a little fun shopping for ingredients for this...  I went to my favorite market and there is a guy there who I know is Gay, and I like him unfortunately he's taken right now....  I walked into the store and said "Curtis, where are your nuts?"  The cashier knows us both and cracked up laughing.

Penuche Fudge - from the 1950 Betty Crocker Cookbook

1 cup white sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I prefer dark)
1 tsp. corn syrup (the recipe didn't specify but I used light Karo corn syrup)
2/3 cup whole milk
dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla  (try it with almond extract for a really different flavor)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup broken nutmeats if desired

for Coconut Penuche, add two cups shredded coconut with the sugar.

Fudge can be finicky, I would recommend only using top quality ingredients such as Domino Sugar & Karo corn syrup.

Use a small saucepan, maybe 2 quart size.  I was at a friend's and she loaned out some stuff and all she had was a large frying pan.  It cooked too quickly all spread out; and hardened in the pan AGAIN.  It did taste good though.

Scald the milk over low flame; this is when the milk is hot enough to bubble and starts to form a skin on top.  Add both sugars, dash of salt and the tsp of corn syrup.  Stir until dissolved.  Clip candy thermometer onto side of pan, making sure that the bulb is not touching the bottom of the pan or you will get an incorrect reading.  Cook gently over medium-low flame, (it will bubble steadily but not vigorously) until it reaches the soft ball stage 236 degrees F.    For us, low humidity today, it took about 15 minutes.  Stir occasionally from the bottom.  The interesting thing, both my candy thermometer and Grandma's - it never got to 236.  It was about 1/16th of an inch from there maybe 234?    So after about 10 or 12 minutes, I would test in the cold water every couple minutes.  Get a small glass of cold water, and put a couple drops of the fudge in there and if it makes a soft ball, that sticks together, that you can roll it into a ball, then it is done.  We even put the spoon in the water, and the fudge that was on it  had definite substance when we were feeling it.   (What I'm trying to say here, is there is no doubt in your mind that it is done.  When you test and it is too early, for example, it looks like drops of brown syrup.  The cold water has no effect on it.)  Remove from fire.

Add 2 Tbsp. butter

Cool WITHOUT stirring until lukewarm.  Add vanilla.  Beat until thick and no longer glossy.  This is some pretty stiff stuff - for your own comfort, a wooden spoon or fork is best.   Add nuts if desired and turn onto waxed paper, form into a 12" roll, chill and slice.  Or spread into a buttered brownie-size square pan and cut into squares.

WARNING - Have all your ingredients assembled before you start…...I did not have the vanilla handy at the end and when I went to look for it, at Grandma's house - The fudge set up IN THE PAN.  Well, at least it set up; wasn't grainy etc.   But I had to chisel it out of the pan.  So now I have crumbles and rocks.  Not nice pretty squares of fudge.  It still tastes good of course.  I think I made this with half and half once it is richer still.

One last hint, make sure you have a decent sized saucepan, width-wise.  I used a tiny saucepan, not enough surface area; and it didn't set up.

PLEASE let me know how you like it.

[leatherbear]

:jaj: This is the fudge of my childhood :jaj:

I have eaten fudge crumbles before and grainy fudge as well But it was all good!!! When you were a child those things never mattered!!!