Fudge is a type of confectionery which is usually very sweet, extremely rich and sometimes flavoured with cocoa. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency. Chocolate can also be mixed in to make chocolate fudge. Fudge can also be used in brownies.

Origins

The components of Fudge are very similar to the traditional recipe for Scots Tablet, which is noted in "The Household Book of Lady Grisell Baillie" (1692-1733). The term "fudge" is often used in the United Kingdom for a softer variant of the tablet recipe.

One of the first documentations of American-style fudge (containing chocolate) is found in a letter written by Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a student at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She wrote that her schoolmate's cousin made fudge in Baltimore, Maryland in 1886 and sold it for 40 cents a pound. Miss Hartridge got hold of the fudge recipe, and in 1888, made of fudge for the Vassar College Senior Auction. This Vassar fudge recipe became quite popular at the school for years to come.

Word of this popular confection spread to other women's colleges. For example, Wellesley and Smith have their own versions of this fudge recipe.

Geographical consumption patterns

In the United Kingdom traditional English fudge has become synonymous with Devon, Cornwall, and sometimes Dorset and is made in a basic range. English fudge is expected to have a firm, slightly crumbly texture. The best known variation is similar to penuche except that it utilizes granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.

Hot fudge

"Hot Fudge" in the U.S. is usually understood to be chocolate in regards to ice-cream. Hot fudge is made by heating chocolate fudge, which is typically used as a topping for ice cream, particularly sundaes and parfaits. It may also occasionally be topped upon s'mores.

Chemistry

Fudge is a drier variant of fondant.

In forming a fondant, it is not easy to keep all vibrations and seed crystals from causing rapid crystallisation to large crystals. Consequently, milkfat and corn syrup are often added. Corn syrup contains glucose, fructose (monosaccharides) and maltose (disaccharide). These sugars interact with the sucrose molecules. They help prevent premature crystallization by inhibiting sucrose crystal contact. The fat also helps inhibit rapid crystallisation. Controlling the crystallization of the supersaturated sugar solution is the key to smooth fudge. Initiation of crystals before the desired time will result in fudge with fewer, larger sugar grains. The final texture will have a grainy mouthfeel rather than the smooth texture of quality fudge.

One of the most important parts is its texture. The temperature is what separates hard caramel from fudge. The higher the peak temperature, the more sugar is dissolved, the more water is evaporated; resulting in a higher sugar to water ratio. Before the availability of cheap and accurate thermometers, cooks would use the ice water test, also known as the cold water test, to determine the saturation of the candy. Fudge is made at the "soft ball" stage which varies by altitude and ambient humidity from to .