Freezing your fudge is the key to a hardened result.
Image Credit: pamela_d_mcadams/iStock/GettyImages
If you're struggling to get your fudge to harden just right, you may be missing one key step. Preparing the perfect fudge will require some chilling time (and patience).
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This Chocolate Maple Almond Fudge, crafted by Christy Brissette, RD and president of 80 Twenty Nutrition, is quick to prepare and will give you the firm, fudgy consistency you're looking for.
Line your container: Line a medium glass or ceramic food storage container with parchment paper. You can also line mini muffin tins with muffin liners if you want to keep your serving sizes small.
Combine the ingredients: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine your almond butter and coconut oil. Once the oil melts, stir in the cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. When the mixture looks shiny and smooth, stir in the maple syrup.
Pour the fudge: After you've added the maple syrup, pour the fudge mixture into your prepared container or mini muffin tins.
Harden the fudge: Place your container or tins in the fridge for 2 hours, which is the time it takes for the fudge to set. Once it's hardened, cut the fudge into 12 pieces or remove it from the muffin tins. Store in the fridge or the freezer (if you don't devour it right away).
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Can You Freeze Fudge?
If you prefer harder fudge, freeze it for about 1 or 2 hours after pouring it in a container, Brissette says.
Using a mini muffin tin or silicone candy mold can also help your fudge firm up faster. Thanks to their smaller surface area, they'll help fudge harden much more quickly than if you pour it all into one larger container.
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Storing Fudge in the Freezer
Fudge can last you about 7 days in the fridge — but it's best stored in the freezer because the fat (from the coconut oil) helps prevent a crystallized consistency, according to the USDA.
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Fudge can last about 2 to 3 months in the freezer, per the USDA. Just make sure to store it in an air-tight container.
This upgraded fudge recipe swaps butter for almond butter and coconut oil, which not only makes this a plant-based recipe but also gives you a little more healthy, unsaturated fat and protein.
Almond butter packs heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which may help lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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Almond butter also adds some fiber to your fudge, which regular butter doesn't supply. With about 3 grams of fiber per 2-tablespoon serving, almond butter offers about 12 percent of your daily recommended fiber intake, according to the USDA.
Brissette's dessert also trades refined sugar for maple syrup, which adds sweetness plus some important nutrients, including potassium, manganese and magnesium, and packs fewer grams of sugar than refined forms of the sweet stuff.
Wrap your fudge in an air-tight container. Several layers of saran wrap, vacuum seal, Tupperware should all keep the moisture locked in pretty good. A couple hours before you would like to enjoy your fudge, take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw out on your counter.
Monitor the Temperature with a Candy Thermometer. If you end up with soft fudge that turns into a puddle in your hands or hard fudge that is a bit reminiscent of a crunchy candy, improper temperature is likely to blame. ...
Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer. ...
Yes, you can also freeze fudge with condensed milk.
The first being, you'll need to wrap the fudge into cling wrap. You can also use plastic wrap. Just make sure you cut the fudge into appropriate sizes so that they fit into your freezer.
If your fudge turned out super sticky, or it didn't set as it cooled, it probably never got hot enough. This mistake is super easy to avoid if you use a candy thermometer and cook the fudge to the temperature specified in the recipe (usually between 234 and 239°F).
Ensure you have kept the leftover fudge in a sealable container in a cool, dark, dry place, such as kitchen drawers, cupboards, or a pantry. Fudge stored exposed at room temperature will last for a month or two but will start to show signs of hardening around the edges and a loss of its freshness.
Take another piece of parchment and press the warm fudge down into the pan so that it is even in thickness. Move the pan to the freezer to speed up the set time. After 30 minutes in the freezer cut the fudge into squares. Enjoy!
Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.
The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.
Undercooked. This fudge was cooked until the temperature reached only108 °C (226 °F). At this temperature, the sugar is not concentrated enough... there is too much leftover water in the syrup and the resulting fudge is soft.
Condensed milk can be frozen although it will not freeze solid due to its high sugar content. This means it does not need to be thawed after usage although the texture does thicken and becomes more viscous after freezing.
Options for what you can do with your unset fudge:
OPTION 1) Depending on how runny it is, you can either use it as a frosting for cakes, or a sauce for ice-cream. OPTION 2) Freeze it overnight. Cut it into squares. Cover each square thickly in melted chocolate, ensuring no part of the fudge is exposed.
Use the size recommended in your recipe, otherwise a larger pan produces thinner pieces of fudge, and a smaller pan produces thicker pieces. To keep the fudge from sticking to the cooling pan, line it with non-stick foil or parchment paper, or coat it with cooking spray, butter, or a neutral oil.
Conversely, if the cooking time is too brief and there is not enough evaporation, too much water will remain and the fudge will be too soft. A temperature of 112°C to 114°C (234°F to 237°F) must be maintained. This will ensure the fudge has the ideal concentration of water and sugar.
Why won't my 3 ingredient fudge set? This often happens when the condensed milk and chocolate chip mixture isn't hot enough to start. Everything must be completely melted before it is transferred to the pan to cool.
The key to creamy, luscious fudge is controlling crystal formation. If the sucrose (table sugar) crystals are small, the fudge will feel creamy and smooth on your tongue. But if the crystals are large, the fudge develops a crumbly, dry, or even coarse texture.
To Freeze: Cool completely then store this easy hot fudge in a freezer safe jar or bag for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat slowly in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Be careful not to let it get too hot or burn.
Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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