How to Make Brown Sugar Penuche Fudge
Ingredients: White Sugar, Light Brown Sugar, Heavy Cream, Molasses, Unsweetened Chocolate, Butter, Vanilla, Nuts.
Steps:
Prepare:
Preheat the thermometer in hot water.
Use a 2-quart saucepan.
Butter the upper edges of the saucepan.
Measure all ingredients except the vanilla and the optional ones, and pour into the saucepan.
Grease and, if necessary, line a 5 x 10 inch pan.
Fill a glass with ice cubes and water and the sink with 1/2 inch of cold water.
Dissolve the sugar, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, over low heat until the butter melts, the gritty sounds cease, and the spoon glides smoothly across the bottom of the pan.
Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil.
Boil, cleaning any sugar crystals that have formed with a pastry brush dipped in hot water from the thermometer bath, using the least amount of water possible.
Insert the preheated thermometer.
Reduce the heat, keeping the candy at a boil.
Stir only when necessary.
Test the candy mixture in ice water when the mixture thickens and the bubbles are noisy.
The ball formed in ice water should hold its shape until the heat from your hand begins to flatten it and should be al dente, slightly chewy, between 230 and 240 degrees.
Due to the molasses and brown sugar, it may form a ball at a lower temperature than other candies.
Cool by placing the saucepan in the cold water in the sink.
Add the vanilla without stirring.
Let it cool.
Stir when it is warm and a "skin" forms on the surface.
Return the thermometer to its hot water bath to soak and clean it.
Stir the candy thoroughly but not vigorously by hand, with an electric mixer, or a food processor.
Pause frequently to allow the candy to react.
Observe how the candy thickens, loses its shine, becomes lighter or shows streaks of lighter tones, releases some heat, and suddenly hardens.
If mixing by hand, the candy will "snap" with each movement.
With a mixer, the mixer's waves will be very visible; with a food processor, the candy will slowly flow back to the center when the processor is stopped.
Add the optional ingredients (1/2 cup of chopped nuts — walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts) before the candy completely solidifies.
Pour, score, and store when cold in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
The recipe can easily be doubled and can be frozen.
Variations:
Honey Brown Sugar Fudge: In step 1, remove the unsweetened chocolate and replace the molasses with 1/4 cup of honey. Honey causes the candy to form a ball at a higher temperature.
Chocolate Honey Brown Sugar Fudge: In step 1, replace the heavy cream with light cream or evaporated milk and replace the molasses with 1/4 cup of honey.
Orange Brown Sugar Fudge: In step 1, remove the molasses and chocolate, but add 1 tablespoon of corn syrup. In step 6, add 1 tablespoon of orange zest and, if available, 1 teaspoon of pure orange extract.
Peanut Butter Brown Sugar Fudge: In step 1, remove the molasses and chocolate, replace the heavy cream with 1/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter. To intensify the peanut butter flavor, add 1/3 cup of salted peanuts in step 9.
Praline-Style Brown Sugar Fudge: In step 1, removing the molasses is optional — you will get a more Southern praline with it, a smoother one without it — or compensate by using only 1 tablespoon. Remove the chocolate. In step 3, when the mixture begins to thicken, slowly add 1 1/2 cups of pecan halves so as not to break the boil or cool the mixture too quickly.
