I have a confession to make. I am a terrible fudge maker. After two dismal failures in making fudge, I had almost given up. In fact, I did.. just for a little while. The whole process seemed so easy.. but I'd find some way for it to go horribly wrong. When I first made this recipe, I wasn't sure it had turned out right. I had never had
Tablet ... also known as
Penuche ... also known as Brown Sugar Fudge -- I didn't know that this wonderful treat was exactly how it should be! I highly recommend this recipe, whether you'd had trouble making fudge in the past or not.. it is fabulous, and easy!
I found
this recipe while looking for a "different" sort of fudge recipe. You know me -- I can't just make "normal" fudge, I've got to go out on a limb. I love brown sugar... so this sounded like a great recipe for me. The combination of brown sugar and pecans is a winner for me!
Here's how I made it:
I wanted to make a thick confection, so I used an 8" by 8" dish, buttered well!
Next, I used parchment paper.. with the edges hanging over so I could lift out the candy at the end.
I decided to add a lot of nuts, so toasted 2 cups. Do this before you start the candy, so you don't get distracted.
Ten minutes at 350 degrees F, and the pecans are perfect. Cool, then chop roughly. Ready to be stirred in.
Time to get cooking the candy. Start with butter, brown sugar, half and half, and salt.
Heat to a boil, stirring so all is combined. Using a candy thermometer, continue to heat to soft-ball stage (240 degrees F). This stuff is scary -- be careful. Seriously, use a thermometer, if you have any doubt!
I don't have pictures.. but when the candy reached 240 degrees F, I moved it to a metal bowl. I stirred in one cup of powdered sugar, then kept mixing until it started to turn dull and looked "fudgy". I know that is vague, but you'll see it starts to look different. This was not the quick transformation I've seen with other true fudge recipes, so you've got some forgiveness here. Still, don't let it get so cool and overmixed that you can't spread it into your pan. Right before it goes in the pan, stir in your pecans, then spread in your prepared pan.
Looks beautiful! Now, wait for it to cool.
Just barely cool, I couldn't wait! Looks yummy, right?
Here's the recipe I used:
Penuche, from Louanne's Kitchen
Ingredients
¾ cup unsalted butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
-
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar (you can add up to 3 cups)
2 cups toasted and chopped pecans (you could also use walnuts, peanuts, etc)
- Butter an 8x8 (thick) or 7x11(thin) inch pan; line with parchment paper for easy removal.
-
Toast pecans for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven; coarsely chop and set aside.
- Combine butter, brown sugar, half-n-half, and salt in a saucepan.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until mixture comes to a boil.
- Insert candy thermometer, and continue to stir occasionally, cooking until soft ball stage (240 degrees).
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
- Pour into a metal
bowl (plastic will melt) and add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time,
beating with an electric mixer, until mixture reaches a thick,
fudge-like consistency. .
- Stir in nuts, then Pour (scrape) into prepared pan.
- If necessary, wet hands to pat mixture into pan.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into pieces.
You will love this sweet melt-in-your-mouth treat, especially with lots of toasted pecans stirred in. To make this more frugal, make it without the nuts --- it will still be wonderful!
Enjoy!
This post is linked to the following link parties -- please check them out for lots more recipes and ideas!
