Penuche Fudge is one of those old-time treats that you might remember your grandmother or great-grandmother making. Silky smooth and bursting with notes of butterscotch and maple, this fudge is hard to come by these days, and believe me, I’ve looked!
This recipe was given to me by my mom and while I’m no fudge expert, I think it’s delightful. Toasted walnuts blend effortlessly into the deep tones of brown sugar in this melt-in-your-mouth confection.
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A delightful old-fashioned treat, this melt-in-your-mouth brown sugar and walnut fudge isn’t as complicated as you may think.
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts (four ounces)
- cooking spray
- 2/3 cup evaporated milk (five ounces)
- 1 – 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 10 tablespoons of butter (five ounces)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread walnuts in an even layer on a baking sheet and toast for 5-10 minutes, tossing occasionally. Remove walnuts and set aside to cool when they are one shade darker and smell toasty. Chop into small bits.
- Meanwhile, lightly spray a 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray and then line with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on two of the sides.
- In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, bring evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter, and salt to a boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer over medium low heat.
- Simmer, stirring constantly. until the mixture reaches 236 degrees on a candy thermometer (soft ball stage*). Start checking temps around the 8 minute mark just to be on the safe side. It may take anywhere from 10-25 minutes depending on your range and pan.
- Remove from heat and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in confectioners sugar on low, scraping down the sides.
- Increase the speed to about medium and beat until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla extract and chopped walnuts.
- Spread the fudge mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with a spatula. Refrigerate, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until firm. Turn out fudge onto a cutting board and remove plastic wrap. Cut into small squares.
Notes
- Soft ball stage is when a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.
- Penuche Fudge can be stored for up to 7 days in a covered container.
Keywords: penuche brown sugar fudge
When all is said and done, this fudge really doesn’t take much effort. I had always heard how tricky fudge was, and so I avoided making it. However, this Penuche Fudge is pretty straight forward and the results are divine. My tip: invest in a decent thermometer! I have a ThermoPop thermometer, which I use constantly. It’s fast and accurate and makes reading temperatures a breeze.
