Buttery Penuche Brown Sugar Fudge Food

BUTTERY RICH PENUCHE FUDGE RECIPE - ORIGINAL METHOD

Steps:

• Line a 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving 2-inches overhang on two opposing sides. Make sure to fold the paper into the corners of the pan.
• In a heavy saucepan over medium-low flame, heat brown sugar, white sugar, corn syrup, milk, butter, and salt to 242°F (117°C) while stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching. Cooking should take anywhere from 20-25 minutes.
• Immediately pour penuche into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add vanilla extract. Beat on medium for 4 minutes, until fudge is thick and smooth. Lower speed to low and add walnuts or other chopped nuts, and beat just a few times until the nuts are dispersed evenly into the penuche. Turn off the mixer.
• Using a spatula greased with butter, spread penuche fudge into the square pan lined with parchment. Smooth out the top with a spatula.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour before cutting. If refrigerated, penuche will keep in a sealed container for up to a week. For maximum freshness, don't cut until ready to serve.

EASY PENUCHE FUDGE RECIPE (BROWN SUGAR FUDGE)

Steps:

• Line an 8 or 9 inch square pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. If you are using foil, coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• Prepare the ingredients you will need last, because you are going to be in a hurry later. Chop your white chocolate into small chunks for faster melting. Take the lid off your marshmallow creme and peel off all traces of the foil lining (so that you can microwave it later for easy scooping. Microwaving is optional). Set out your vanilla and salt.
• In a 3 quart HEAVY saucepan over medium high heat, melt 3/4 cup butter. Before it melts all the way, use your spoon or knife to rub the sides of the pot with butter, almost all the way to the top. This helps prevent sugar crystals from forming on the edge of the pan, which can cause your fudge to not come to the right temperature.
• Add 2/3 cup evaporated milk. Add 2 tablespoons corn syrup.
• Add 2 and 1/2 cups brown sugar to the center of the pot. Be sure to avoid getting sugar on the edge of the pan to avoid the sugar crystals that I mentioned before.
• Use a wooden spoon to stir slowly until the butter has melted completely and been fully incorporated.
• Bring to a full rolling boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly with a long wooden spoon. Once it starts boiling (that means bubbles coming up from the CENTER of the pot, not the edges of the pot), set a timer for 5 minutes and turn the heat down to medium so that you don't burn your fingers off--it should be at a rolling boil the full 5 minutes. Stir constantly. If you want to use a thermometer, boil until it reaches about 236 degrees F.
• When the timer goes off, remove from heat and immediately add the chopped white chocolate. Stir until the white chocolate has melted completely and there are no lumps. You will notice that if you stop stirring even for a few seconds, the fudge will start to harden, so work quickly.
• Take the lid off your marshmallow creme, remove all traces of foil, ignore the label that says "Do not microwave in jar," and microwave in the jar for about 20 seconds, until you see the marshmallow start to rise above the lip of the jar. (You don't need to microwave. It's just a hack to make it really easy to get the marshmallow out of the jar, which can be a pain.) Use a spatula to add all the marshmallow creme to the fudge and stir. You will notice that if you stop stirring even for a few seconds, the fudge will start to harden, so work quickly.
• Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to the fudge. Beat the fudge with your wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and sides well, until all the marshmallow has been incorporated and the fudge is an even light golden color with no streaks.
• (At this point, add chopped toasted nuts if you are into that. I haven't made it with nuts but I would guess between 2/3 cup to 3/4 cup chopped pecans will do ya.)
• Immediately pour into the prepared and lined square pan.
• Let cool to room temperature. This usually takes 3-5 hours depending on the temperature of your house. Once the fudge has had a half hour or so to cool, cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid so it doesn't get dried out. You can refrigerate the fudge to speed up cooling, but let it come back to room temperature before attempting to slice it.
• When you are ready to serve, lift the parchment paper or foil out of the pan. Use a long chef's knife to make even slices. Store on the counter covered. Fudge will keep on the counter for about 3-5 days before getting dried out.
• You can freeze fudge! I do this every year for the holidays. Freeze in a block and allow to come to room temperature before slicing, or slice and arrange in a sealed container, then freeze. I prefer the latter, then I can just pop it out of the freezer and add pieces to the cookie plates I'm assembling.

PENUCHE FUDGE

Steps:

• Coat a 5-by-10-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line with plastic wrap leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides.
• Bring evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 236 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer to a mixer bowl, and beat in confectioners' sugar on low speed. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium, and beat until mixture is thickened and smooth, 2 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add vanilla and walnuts.
• Spread mixture in pan, smoothing top. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 25 minutes. Unmold fudge using plastic overhang, and discard plastic. Cut into 18 pieces.

PENUCHE SUGAR FUDGE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, cream and butter. Stir until dissolved. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Remove from heat and stir vigorously until mixture loses its gloss, or process in a food processor 30 seconds. Quickly stir in vanilla and nuts and spread into a 9x9 inch dish. Chill before cutting into squares.

BROWN SUGAR FUDGE (PENUCHE)

Steps:

• PREPARE:
• Prewarm the thermometer in hot water; use a 2-quart saucepan; butter the upper sides (inside) of the saucepan; measure all ingredients except the vanilla and optionals, and dump into the saucepan.
• Grease and if necessary, line a 5 X 10-inch pan.
• Fill glass with ice cubes and water and the sink with 1/2 inch of cold water.
• Dissolve the sugar, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, over low heat until the butter melts, the gritty sounds cease, and the spoon glides smoothly over the bottom of the pan.
• Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil.
• Boil, after washing down any crystals that may have formed, with a pastry brush dipped in hot water from the thermometer bath, using as little water as possible.
• Introduce the prewarmed thermometer.
• Reduce the heat while keeping the fudge at a boil.
• Stir no more than necessary.
• Test the fudge mixture in the ice-cold water when the mixture thickens and bubbles become noisy.
• Ball, formed in ice water, should hold its shape until the heat from your had begins to flatten it and should be al dente ~- slightly chewy -- between 230 and 240 (110 and 115.5 degrees C.).
• Because of the molasses and brown sugar, it can ball at a lower temperature than some other fudges.
• Shock by placing the saucepan in the cold water in the sink.
• Seed by adding, without stirring, the vanilla.
• Then allow to cool.
• Stir when luke warm and "skin" forms on the top (110 degrees F./43.5 degrees C.).
• Return the thermometer to its hot water bath to soak clean.
• Stir the fudge thoroughly but not vigorously by hand, with an electric mixer, or with a food processor.
• Pause frequently to allow the fudge to react.
• Watch for the fudge to thicken, lose its sheen, and become lighter in color or streaked with lighter shade, give off some heat, suddenly stiffen.
• If mixing by had, the fudge will "snap" with each stroke; by mixer, mixer waves will become very distinct, by food processor, fudge will flow sluggishly back to the center when the processor is stopped.
• Add the optionals (1/2 Cup Chopped Nuts (walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts (filberts)) before the fudge totally candies.
• Pour, score, and store when cool in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
• Recipe is easily doubled and can be frozen.
• VARIATIONS:
• HONEY BROWN SUGAR FUDGE: In Step 1, eleminate the unsweetened chocolate and replace the molasses with 1/4 cup of honey.
• The honey causes the fudge to ball at a higher temperature.
• CHOCOLATE HONEY BROWN SUGAR FUDGE: In Step 1, replace the heavy cream with light cream or evaporated milk and replace the molasses with 1/4 cup of honey.
• ORANGE BROWN SUGAR FUDGE: In Step 1, eleminate molasses, chocolate but add 1 Tbl corn syrup.
• In Step 6, add 1 Tbl grated orange zest, plus if you can get it, 1 tsp of pure orange extract.
• PEANUT BUTTER BROWN SUGAR FUDGE: In Step 1, eliminate the molasses and chocolate, replace the heavy cream with 1/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter.
• To intensify the peanut butter flavor, add 1/3 of a cup of salted peanuts in Step 9.
• PRALINE BROWN SUGAR FUDGE: In Step 1, eliminating the molasses is optional -- you'ss get a more Southern praline with it, a milder one without it--or compromise and use only 1 Tbls.
• Eliminate the chocolate.
• In Step 3, when the mixture begins to thicken, add 1 1/2 cups of pecan halves slowly so as not to break the boil or cool the mixture too quickly.

BUTTERY PENUCHE (BROWN SUGAR) FUDGE

Steps:

• In a heavy medium sized pot, bring first 4 ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat to low and stir frequently until candy thermometer reads 240°F (soft ball stage) (this will take about 20-30 minutes).
• Pour into a metal bowl as a plastic one will melt and add vanilla.
• Beat with electric mixer at medium speed.
• Add powdered sugar slowly and continue beating until fudge is thick and smooth (about 3-4 minutes).
• Add walnuts and stir with spoon.
• Spread in an ungreased 8" square pan and refrigerate-uncovered for about 30 minutes.
• Cut into small squares and eat.

BROWN SUGAR FUDGE

Steps:

• Combine milk, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a 3-quart heavy saucepan and bring just to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 238°F on thermometer and a teaspoon of mixture dropped into a small bowl of cold water holds a soft ball when pressed between your fingers (this will take about 30 minutes).
• Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Beat in vanilla with an electric mixer at medium speed, then add confectioners' sugar a little at a time, beating until fudge is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Spread evenly in an ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm enough to cut, about 30 minutes.
• Cut fudge into 64 squares with a sharp paring knife.

PENUCHE FUDGE

Steps:

• Line a 9-in. square pan with foil; grease foil with 1 teaspoon butter., In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugars, milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a rapid boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage). Remove from heat. Add vanilla and remaining butter to pan (do not stir)., Cool, without stirring, to 110°, about 40 minutes. Beat with a spoon until fudge just begins to thicken. Add walnuts; continue beating until fudge becomes very thick and just begins to lose its sheen (about 10 minutes total). Immediately spread into prepared pan. Cool., Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Remove foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Store between layers of waxed paper in airtight containers.

BROWN SUGAR FUDGE

Steps:

• Grease an 8x8-inch pan.
• Bring brown sugar, evaporated milk, and butter to a boil in a large saucepan; boil mixture for exactly 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add confectioners' sugar. Beat fudge with an electric mixer on medium speed for exactly 5 minutes. Stir in walnuts. Spread fudge into the prepared pan and let cool before cutting into squares.