Parade Magazine Fudge

by Jillian
(Panama City, FL)

Tried the Parade Magazine Fudge. FAIL!! Can I save it?

So I found this recipe in this weekend's Parade Magazine (you know, that thing that gets stuck in the Sunday paper), and decided to make it, because it seemed easy enough, right?


Well, little did I know that it's not a *FULL* set of instructions!! Nothing about greasing the foil, nothing about how long to cook it or at what temperature (I kept it at low-medium, because otherwise it tried to volcano lava flow over on me), NOTHING!!

http://www.dashrecipes.com/recipes/dr/p/peppermint-white-chocolate-fudge.html


Long story short, it came out in this toffee colored, taffy consistency gooey mess. To top it all off, it's stuck to the aluminum foil!!


It took me over an hour to get first the marshmallow mix down to a "smooth" consistency, then another hour to get the chocolate chips to melt! Does anyone have any ideas what to do with this that can possibly save it?


It's $50 worth of stuff, and the only thing I'm going to have (or not have) for Christmas presents for everybody, because I'm unemployed and broke.


Thanks for any help. :)
Jillian

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Hi Jillian,

I know how disappointing it is to spend time and money making a yummy dessert and having it flop! There's good news when it comes to fudge. Often times fudge can be rescued and all is not lost.


I took a look at the recipe you linked to for the Parade Magazine Fudge and I can see why it would be difficult to produce successfully, especially if you are not a veteran fudge maker.


I like the easy fudge recipes. :) I'm definitely not one to spend two hours making fudge, when it can be made in about 15 minutes in the microwave. Grin!


Anyway, back to your dilemma. If you can manage to peel all of the foil from your failed fudge, you may be able to save it by popping it back into the pan and reheating it and adding a few ingredients to the mix - evaporated milk and powdered sugar.


I'm wondering if you doubled or tripled the recipe the first time around. It sounds like you may have tried that since you said you spent so much money on the ingredients.


Fudge recipes usually do NOT double well. They need to be made one at a time. That may have been the real problem in why it took so long to get yours to come together.


If you've made a giant batch, try rescuing it a portion at a time. I can't give you exact measurements, but the idea is to loosen the fudge back up when melting with the milk and then use the powdered sugar to thicken/set it when stirring it. You may have to stir a lot to get that fudge consistency after you remove it from the heat.


It's hard for me to get an idea of the exact consistency and texture that you've ended up with. Usually when making a boiled candy fudge, you want the fudge mixture to get to the soft ball stage (around 235 degrees F.) If it doesn't get hot enough the fudge won't set and if you cook it too hot, you'll end up with a more chewy or too hard candy.


Hoping this helps and that you can salvage your fudge. Let us know if you do!

Merry Christmas,
Angie