Directions
Brown Sugar Fudge. This recipe uses an old fashioned method and just a few ingredients to produce a creamy, caramel flavoured fudge you’ll absolutely love.
Old Fashioned Brown Sugar Fudge
This recipe was inspired by a reader who evoked a childhood memory of mine.
Sonja emailed me to ask if I had a recipe for brown sugar fudge. Unfortunately I did not, but I had a niggling feeling that I knew it from years ago.
Old Fashioned Brown Sugar Fudge
The mystery was solved when she said in a follow-up email. “The version I am after was super simple – just 5 ingredients. Evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. The original source of the recipe was the label on the can of Carnation.”
I recognized that recipe immediately.
Back in the 70’s, when Sonja also first remembers this recipe, Carnation brand evaporated milk printed recipes on the reverse side of the label on its cans.
Back in my very early days of cooking and baking, I remember clipping those labels with the recipes off of the can. I can even now visualize a small square of fudge that was pictured on the label with that recipe.
Those labels and other hand written recipes, I remember storing in a small yellow plastic recipe box. I’m sure there would be a treasure trove of ideas if I was ever to find it again.
I am absolutely certain I had that fudge recipe label stored in that box over 40 years ago. It took no time to find the recipe from several sources online, once I had the additional details.
Several failed fudge attempts during that time, also come quickly to mind. With six kids in the house though, even bad, crystallized fudge was worth eating. None of it was wasted.
Old Fashioned Brown Sugar Fudge
Temperature is key for perfect Brown Sugar Fudge
Back in those days, people still routinely relied on the soft ball stage test for candy making. A small spoon of the boiling candy would be dropped into ice cold water. If the ball was firm but still able to be squeezed between your fingers, it was done.
That, of course, was a very imprecise way of judging the proper temperature. I’ll bet there were as many fails as successes using that method.
The solution for a far more precise way of ensuring a smooth creamy, non-grainy fudge is to use a decent candy thermometer. Or any heat safe thermometer that can reach about 240 degrees F.
A digital food thermometer can easily be purchased quite inexpensively these days. I’ve now added one to my Amazon Store.
Old Fashioned Brown Sugar Fudge at the correct temperature.
The correct temperature for the boiling fudge is 236-238 degrees F. As soon as I hit the 236 mark, off the heat it came.
I could not have been more pleased with the result! My final cooled fudge was smooth, creamy and had great caramel flavour. It was irresistible!
Old Fashioned Brown Sugar Fudge
I’m sure you know someone who would appreciate a surprise treat of this delicious fudge. With the Holidays fast approaching, its a great, inexpensive idea for gift giving too.
If you liked this recipe you many want to check out this great collection of No Bake Cookies that was incredibly popular during our last Holiday season.
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