Food - Drink
The Reason Your Homemade Fudge Is A Crumbly Mess
By STEPHANIE FRIEDMAN
Whether you're making classic chocolate or peanut butter fudge or a newer kind like salted caramel, this decadent treat should always have a thick, smooth consistency. To nail down the right texture, the steps in an average fudge recipe need to be followed to a tee, especially when it comes to cooking your sugar.
For the perfect fudge, you need to crystalize the sugar a little, meaning it needs to be cooked past its boiling point. It's important to bring the sugar to the exact right temperature, because if it doesn't boil, your fudge will end up too mushy, and if it cooks for too long, you'll end up with a dry, crumbly mess, the latter being a common pitfall.
A candy thermometer is the best way to know when to remove your fudge mixture from the heat. When the mix of sugar, dairy, and flavorings reaches 237 to 239 degrees Fahrenheit, the sugar has usually dissolved and the mixture is good to remove from heat, and a thermometer is much more reliable than time estimates.