Hi there everyone!
Last week I reviewed some of the old classic Kendal mint cake and I really enjoyed the brown kind which had a semi caramelised taste along with a pepperminty kick.
With that in mind I started to fancy some peppermint fudge so decided to brave the molten sugar monster and create my own!
Sweet making can be a little tricky as you need to know exactly when it is done and just a few minutes over can turn one delicious treat into a completely different beast or even worse leave you with a pan of burnt sugar.
To combat this I got a handy little gadget out.
I don’t know if you have ever seen them but I recently brought myself a “Thermospatula” which is a spatula with a thermometer inside it and I was itching to try it with this recipe!
Thankfully I can tell you that they really do work otherwise this recipe might have been for blackened sugar dust with tears of sorrow soup.
You have to hold the spatula at a bit of an awkward angle, at least for me, to see the thermometer at all times but it is quite the nifty gadget if you cook with sugar for things like jams and sweets that need to cook to an exact temperature to succeed.
You can also use another technique to check your toffee is ready, a more low tech method involving just a bowl of cold water, we will be using it in this recipe as a just in case in fact.
You can just use this test if you like but I wouldn’t recommend it if you are just starting out.
This fudge is really delicious and luxurious as you will be able to tell by the ingredients so cut it into small pieces to avoid you gaining a stone and losing all of your teeth with just one of these.
They are extremely morish and dare I say even better than the brown Kendal mint cake so do be careful!
If you don’t fancy peppermint, substitute it for the same amount of vanilla or another flavouring of your choosing but if you haven’t tried peppermint like this before, do! It’s a lovely change!
I think that’s about it but do be careful!
Boiling sugar can be very dangerous so make sure your full attention is on the sugar at all times and you are in safe surroundings!Have fun!
Soft & Chewy Peppermint Fudge
Makes 32 sweets
125g cubed butter, plus extra for greasing
200g condensed milk
88ml milk
1 tablespoon golden syrup
400g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Method
Line a 11×7″ tin with greaseproof paper and grease with a small amount of butter.
Place a small bowl of cold water by your hob.
Measure the peppermint extract into a small container and set aside.
Measure all of the other ingredients and place into a heavy bottomed pan on a medium heat.
Place in a candy thermometer or use a thermospatula and constantly stir the mixture.
While stirring, the mixture should first melt the butter, then slowly come to a boil then bubble and turn a golden hue, this may take 15 minutes or so.
Once the thermometer reaches 118oc, take off of the heat immediately and let a drop of the fudge mixture drop off of your spoon and into the cold bowl of water.
If when you touch the fudge in the cold water it is solid but pliable, it is ready.
Quickly stir in the peppermint extract until combined then carefully pour into the lined tin.
Let it naturally fall and become smooth on the top then leave it in a cool place for a few hours, until it is firm and doesn’t wrinkle when you try to lift it from its tin.
Next carefully remove it from the tin by pulling out the greaseproof paper and trimming any sides of the fudge that may not be perfectly square with a long sharp knife.
Next cut the piece in half widthways, then in half lengthways and keep cutting each section into halves until you have a four by 8 block of square cut toffee pieces.
For storage cut strips of greaseproof and wrap each sweet to stop sticking, using the greaseproof used earlier to save resources.
Enjoy!
I’m not stealing any…..I’m leaving them well alone….well away from my pinching paws….promise!
