Christmas fudge
Prep: 10 mins Cook: 40 mins, plus overnight cooling Difficulty: More effort Cuts into: 36 pieces
Make a festive fudge with orange zest, dried fruit and spices for the
Christmas season. It’s ideal wrapped up as a gift – or a treat to yourself. Gluten-free
Vegetarian
Ingredients
450g golden caster sugar
400g double cream
50g butter
1 tbsp glucose syrup
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
½ tsp mixed spice
100g mixed dried fruit and peel 1 orange, zested
Method
1 Line a 20 x 20cm cake tin with baking parchment. Tip the sugar, cream, butter and glucose syrup into a large pan. Warm over a low heat to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter, stirring occasionally.
2 When the sugar has dissolved, put a sugar thermometer in the mixture, making sure the end is completely covered by the syrup. If it’s not, transfer the mixture to a smaller pan that’s still large enough for the syrup to bubble. Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring the syrup to the boil, stirring occasionally to stop it catching. When the thermometer reaches 116C – or ‘soft ball’ stage – remove the pan from the heat.
3 Leave the mixture to stand undisturbed for 5 mins until the temperature drops to 110C, then stir in the vanilla bean paste, mixed spice, mixed dried fruit and peel, the orange zest and a good pinch of salt. 4 Remove the thermometer, then vigorously beat the mixture with a wooden spoon, checking the temperature every minute or so until it drops again to about 60C. By this time, the mixture will be really thick and have lost some of its glossy shine. Take the thermometer out and continue beating the mixture for a few more minutes. This part is crucial as it helps to create the small sugar crystals that give the fudge its smooth, creamy texture.
5 Quickly pour the fudge mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface using a spatula. Leave to cool overnight at room temperature – don’t put it in the fridge, as it will become sticky and won’t set properly. Cut into 36 bite-sized pieces. Will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two months. Nutrition per serving:
● Kcal 129 ● Fat 7g ● Saturates 4g
● Carbs 16g ● Sugars 15g ● Fibre 0.1g
● Protein 0.3g ● Salt 0.2g