Fudge is a type of sugar candy that is made by mixing sugar, butter and milk, heating it to the soft-ball stage at 115 °C, and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency. In texture, this crystalline candy falls in between fondant icing and hard caramels.

Fudge originated in the US during the late 19th century.[1] Recipes were printed in many periodicals and advertisements during the 1880s.[1] Its popularity was partly due to the decreasing cost of refined white sugar and partly due to the ability to make it at home without special equipment. Its inexpensive, unrefined qualities made it popular among people looking for a candy alternative that fell between expensive, fancy candies and the cheapest sweets.

Fudge-making was popular at women's colleges. A student at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, claimed to have introduced it there in 1888 by selling her own 14 kg batch. The diary of another student mentions making "fudges" in 1892. An 1893 letter from another Vassar College student describes "fudges" as containing sugar, chocolate, milk, and butter. A recipe for "Fudges at Vassar" was printed in The Sun in 1895. Despite describing the confections as "Vassar chocolates", the recipe given comprises sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla extract. Wellesley College and Smith College have their own versions of a fudge recipe dating from the late 19th or early 20th century.

One of the most important attributes of fudge is its texture. In forming a fondant, it is not easy to keep all vibrations and seed crystals from causing rapid crystallization into large crystals. Consequently, milkfat and corn syrup are often added. Corn syrup contains glucose, fructose (monosaccharides), and maltose (disaccharide). These sugars interact with sucrose molecules. They help prevent premature crystallization by inhibiting sucrose crystal contact. The fat also helps inhibit rapid crystallization. Controlling the crystallization of the supersaturated sugar solution is the key to making smooth fudge. Initiating crystals before the desired time will result in fudge with fewer, larger sugar grains. The final texture would then be grainy, a quality that is normally indicative of low-quality fudge.

The endpoint temperature separates hard caramel from fudge. The higher the peak temperature, the more sugar is dissolved, and the more water evaporates, resulting in a higher sugar-to-water ratio. Before the availability of cheap and accurate thermometers, cooks would use the ice-water, or cold-water, test to determine the saturation of the confection. Fudge is made at the "soft ball" stage, which varies by altitude and ambient humidity from 113 °C to 116 °C. Butter is added, and then the fudge is cooled and beaten until it is thick and small sugar crystals have formed. The warm fudge is sometimes poured onto a marble slab to be cooled and shaped.

This simple Fudge Recipe is made with just three ingredients and only takes a few minutes to make too. Super easy and there’s no candy thermometer required!

Ingredients:

3 cups (525 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips.

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk.

2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter.

1 cup (125 grams) chopped walnuts or pecans optional.

To make this fudge, you’ll start out by combining everything in a large saucepan. Then, place the saucepan over medium heat and stir the mixture continuously until it’s nice and smooth. It is suggested to use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the saucepan so that none of the chocolate burns.

Once the mixture is completely smooth, remove it from the heat and scoop it into an 8-inch square baking dish. You can line your dish with parchment paper or foil and leave some overhang before adding the fudge. This will make it much easier to lift it out of the pan and slice the fudge! You’ll spread the fudge into one even layer, then cover it, and place it in the refrigerator. It will take about 3 hours to fully firm up, so you can even prep this the night before too.