The Best Fudge Recipe Ever From A Professional Pastry Chef!

Ingredients

675g Caster Sugar
500ml Double Cream
50g Butter
1 Handful of White Chocolate (This is the Secret Bit!! Trust Me! No-one will ever guess its in there!..but it works miracles for ya ;-))
1tsp of Glucose ( This ISNT essential but does add a more complex structure and texture to the fudge! If you can get it..GET IT!)
1 Vanilla Pod - Not essential but gives the fudge a beautiful smell and wonderful speckled appearance from the Vanilla seeds!
Directions

1. Put ALL ingredients except the White Chocolate into a good heavy saucepan! For the Vanilla pod, lay it flat on Chopping board, and run a sharp knife down the center of the Pod, split the pod in two and scrape out the hundreds of moist dense seeds from each half, add to the mixture! Grease and Line a baking tin ready to pour fudge in once cooled!)
2. Place saucepan on a VERY VERY low heat for the beginning stage! ( You want to dissolve all the sugar crystals before it comes to the boil! Look for a smooth liquid texture without any Graininess at all!)
3. Once sugar is dissolved, and you have a beautiful buttery, creamy golden sugar syrup, Increase the heat until it comes to Rapid Boil! (Dont be afraid!..but DONT you DARE take your eyes and attention of it NOW! Keep stirring constantly or that cream in there will burn at the bottom of your pan and ruin your beautiful Fudge!No Soap Opera, No making a drink..Its Fudge Time :-)

Continue to boil and stir for 15-18 minutes!

4.Now many of you will NOT know what a 'Soft Ball stage' is, so we are going to call this the 'Beautiful Golden Thick Honey Stage!' Now all those adjectives ive used there should now reflect the fudge you see before you!? It will be approximately between 112-115°C, the 'Soft Ball stage' if you've follwed my advice, but dont worry about geeky chef talk, you just need to check its all reduced, A Deep Golden color, Thick yet smooth like Set Honey!?
Go with you gut instinct..but be brave!! If you've been cooking it for 22 minutes and your sweating coz it doesnt look done but your over by 4 minutes and counting and Nick says this or that..Dont Worry!!
Maybe your cookers not as powerful or you had the gas lower than i did or your pans too big or small etc, If it FEELS right and LOOKS right then it probably is!!

5. Remove Fudge from heat once you feel you got the Beautiful Golden Thick Honey Syrup and put to one side! Have a rest..you'e earned it!

6.You'll need a Cake/Pastry Mixer or you can do this by hand with whisk and bowl! Pour Fudge into Mixer or bowl and begin to beat! (People forget this!..too many people simply pour the fudge into tray and cool once cooked! This is WRONG! You need to cool the fudge slowly all the while beating it to give it that wonderful Smooth yet Crystaline texture!)

7. Cooling/Beating should take at least 10-15 min, all the while you'll see your fudge come into life as it begins to cool! About 5 minutes into the Cooling process..add the handful of White Chocolate while the fudge is hot enough to incorporate but not TOO hot to burn the Chocolate! (White Chocolate is very delicate and subtle!..Respect it though and it will work Wonders:-)! I also recommend a handful instead of 50g, 2 tbsp etc because it adds a wonderful human element where you will truly feel like an Alchemist concocting a miracle! Well you ARE ;-)!

8. Now it should be getting quite cool by now (You better not have cheated and put it in the fridge!) before it starts completely setting, Spoon/Spatula the fudge mixture into your pre greaseproofed tin and smooth out so the mix lies flat (or you can always experiment with bread tins etc for different shapes :-)

9. Relax! Sit Back and survey your Brilliance! Leave to cool out of the sunlight for at least 4-6 hours, (its best 36hrs after and lasts in perfection for 5-7 days after making!) Enjoy the BEST Fudge Ever!

Didnt i tell Ya!?

I hope you like this recipe, id love to hear from people who try it! Also if you need any advice or help on anything to do with Pastry and Confectionery..id be happy to help :-)

Yours Sincerely
Nick Dudley-Jones