According to history (although uncertain) fudge was created by accident with a batch of failed candy; probably caramels, sometime around the year 1886. From this flawed batch of candy came the exclamation of or the phrase ‘oh, fudge!’ The initial documentation of fudge was in a letter from Poughkeepsie, New York. Emelyn Battersby Hartidge, a Vassar College student, wrote that a schoolmate’s cousin made fudge. In Baltimore in 1886, the candy sold for 40 cents a pound. Two years later Ms. Hartidge obtained the recipe and made 30 pounds for a Senior Auction. Other colleges (Wellesley and Smith) then created their own recipes for this sweet treat.
Everybody loves to eat flavorful, rich fudge, but it is often considered a bit of a hassle to make. The earliest recipes were very difficult and a little unclear. Difficulty largely depended on which recipe was used, the ingredients, the quality of equipment and the patience taken in order to make it right. Also, being aware of the precise measurements, cooking time and continual stirring were important in order to get the perfect fudge. Stirring for the proper amount of time, and heating the ingredients to the right temperature are important as well in order to make the fudge smooth, creamy and not gritty. Moreover it could be really easy to under cook or over cook this sweet indulgence, which often results in the candy not setting up or scorching.
In contrast with other sweets going back a thousand years or more, fudge is fairly new. Earlier flavors of fudge included vanilla, chocolate and brown sugar penuche. The state of Michigan has become the fudge capital of the United States. Now days, the mixtures of fudge ingredients or flavors are nearly endless. Some of them are: maple walnut, chocolate cappuccino, vanilla cherry chocolate chip, raspberry coffee, lemon butter, vanilla caramel, dark chocolate, chocolate caramel pecan, peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake.
Although the actual word fudge can be defined differently, none of those meanings are equivalent to the family favorite, premium chocolate fudge. In America, the word fudge is nearly always associated with a wonderful, rich and creamy confectionery made with chocolate. At times you will see the word fudge is used on boxes of cakes or brownies, but this simply means they’ve added a little additional chocolate flavoring.
Fudge by definition is a rich and creamy candy. A semi-soft confection, that is smooth and made using fresh butter, sugar, sweet cream, corn syrup and often some mouth watering flavorings. Flavors could be chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch, white chocolate, Kahlua, buttermilk, peanut butter, flavored gelatin, kool aid, pumpkin, mint, maple or even bourbon. Fudge may have various nuts, including hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, roasted macadamia nuts, and almonds. Additional ingredients that are used in uncommon or decadent fudge could be: cheese, crushed candy canes, crackers, popcorn, coconut, pineapple chunks, candy bars, lime zest, espresso beans, chocolate chips, caramel, cookies, chocolate chunks, cherries and other dried or candied fruit, or marshmallows.
Author’s Bio: Anna McAnthony is a staff and content writer at http://www.chocolategourmetcandy.com, and has been doing research and writing articles on chocolate and chocolate candy for many years. Visit http://www.chocolategourmetcandy.com for more information.
