Although the word fudge can be defined differently, none of those meanings are synonymous with the family favorite, premium chocolate fudge. In the United States, the word fudge nearly always means the rich and creamy, heavenly candy made with chocolate. Sometimes you will see the word fudge printed on packaging of brownies and cakes, but all that means is that they've added some extra chocolate flavor.
In contrast with sweets that go back thousands of years, fudge is relatively new. Earlier flavors of fudge included vanilla, chocolate and brown sugar penuche. Mackinac Island, in Michigan is the fudge capital of the United States. Nowadays, the fudge flavors or mixtures of fudge ingredients are nearly endless. Some of them are: raspberry coffee, maple walnut, chocolate cappuccino, vanilla cherry chocolate chip, vanilla caramel, lemon butter, chocolate caramel pecan, chocolate cheesecake, dark chocolate and peanut butter.
Nearly everyone loves creamy, flavorful fudge, but it is often considered difficult to make. Original fudge recipes were a little unclear and extremely difficult. The degree of difficulty largely depended on the kind of ingredients, the quality of equipment, the recipe used and the patience taken to make it right. Also, being aware of the accurate measurements, cooking time and nonstop stirring were an integral part of the perfect fudge. Getting the ingredients to the proper temperature, and stirring for the proper amount of time are both needed for the fudge to be smooth, creamy and not gritty. It can also be really easy to under cook or over cook this confectionery indulgence, which often can result in the fudge not setting up or the ingredients getting scorched.
Fudge by definition is a candy that is creamy and rich. It is a soft candy, that is very smooth and made with sweet cream, sugar, fresh butter, corn syrup and often some different mouth watering flavorings. Flavorings could be butterscotch, white chocolate, chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, flavored gelatin, buttermilk, Kahlua, kool aid, mint, maple, pumpkin or even bourbon. Fudge could contain various nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, roasted macadamia nuts, and almonds. Other ingredients that can be found in the more unusual or decadent fudge may be: popcorn, crackers, cheese, candy canes, pineapple chunks, coconut, candy bars, lime peel, chocolate chips, caramel, cookies, espresso beans, marshmallows, cherries and other candied or dried fruit, or chunks of chocolate.
According to legend, (although disputable) fudge was developed by accident with a failed batch of candy; likely caramels, sometime around the year 1886. From this fouled up batch of candy came the cooks' exclamation of or the term 'oh, fudge!' The earliest written indication of fudge was in a letter from New York. Emelyn Battersby Hartidge, a student from Vassar College, wrote that the cousin of a classmate made fudge. In Baltimore in 1886, the candy was sold for 40 cents per pound. Ms. Hartidge obtained the recipe in 1888 and made 30 pounds for the Senior Auction at Vassar. Other colleges like Wellesley and Smith then made recipes of their own for this sweet treat.
Author's Bio: Anna McAnthony is a content and staff writer at Chocolate Gourmet Candy, and has been researching and writing articles on chocolate and chocolate candy for several years. Visit http://www.chocolategourmetcandy.com for more information.