I appreciate a nice piece of fudge. I'm not talking your average run-of-the-mill fudge. I mean a niiiice piece of fudge. The sort that makes you moan with pleasure until the last bite.
Unfortunately, fudge is something that usually misses my radar when I need a sweet treat for a few reasons:
A. To buy a slab of fudge, it's a hefty price to pay for a small indulgence.
B. To make it at home, I find it is as temperamental as my ex-boyfriend. If I ruin the first batch, it could cost me more than if I would have just spent the $15 per pound to buy it in the first place.
3. Candy thermometers scare me.
After looking through countless recipes that didn't require a candy thermometer or ingredients that are equivalent to the cost of my weekly grocery shop, alas, I found the fudge recipe. The 'moan-through-every-bite fudge'. The fudge that will not break my bank account to make AND is foolproof.
My sweet tooth is high-fiving my taste buds as we speak.
MAPLE FUDGE
3 cups of brown sugar - you do not need to pack it
1 cup butter
½ cup of sweetened condensed milk
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon maple flavoring or vanilla extract
Put the first 4 ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Boil for a full 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Stirring is the key to this fudge being smooth and creamy. If you don't stir enough, it can become crumbly once cooled. It's also best to stir with a silicone spatula or spoon so it won't stick.
After it's boiled, it should look like this....
Remove from heat. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of maple flavoring or vanilla extract. I highly recommend sifting the sugar before adding it to the pan.
Beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
Pour into prepared 8 x 8-inch pan - one that has been sprayed with cooking spray or lined with wax paper).
Chill and cut into squares.
Happy Baking!