On the Subject of Fudge

Years and years of the stuff

That little green tin in the picture is a) one of my favourite possessions and b) while seemingly small, holds a lot of feeling. It was given to me by an old love with whom I share a sad ending, but it’s a story that is peppered with moments of tenderness, and real romance.

Working dutifully with those nimble, slender chef fingers of his, he created an edible forest for me: chocolate soil, sugar cobwebs, hard, glassy sweet-bugs filled with erupting liquid, squishy, gelatinous berries, beautiful leaves that crumbled in the hands, and crack-snapping twigs. It was almost enough to forgive the distance between us, if only it hadn’t become so, so wide.

Never matter. That’s just life, and love. As the years have passed though, I’ve cultivated the tin to keep doing what it does best, filling it with sweet treats for anyone who needs some sugar, and a little tenderness. Mostly, I fill it with the kind of fudge that makes even people who don’t like fudge weak at the knees. Not fondant-like, and not entirely tablet-like, I beat this fudge until it’s nearly squidgeless, with a grainy texture. I like to create all kinds of flavours to maintain the sensation of intrigue that once the tin held as I lifted the lid for the first time with such delight. Love leaves a lasting impression like that.

Let’s review some of the ways of fudge love - years and years of the stuff. I’ll let you know how I make it at the end of this piece. I hope it inspires you to eat or make flavour combinations in new ways.

Cep Fudge. Yes, that’s right. Mushrooms. This is hands down my most-loved and commented upon concoction. Cep already has an earthy, butter-like quality to it, so adding it into fudge was a no brainer. It lends a subtle umami that comes through at the end, lingering deliciously.

You can buy ceps dried (aka porcini mushrooms) and infuse them into the milk (and then pop them into a risotto afterwards). I try not to tell people what the flavour is until they’ve tasted a piece. I ran into the Kent Cricket team at the coffee shop once and decided they all needed a square. Oh the uproar when I revealed the truth. Followed by silence. Followed by a “…that’s the best fudge I’ve ever tasted.” and a smile that nearly knocked me off my stool.

Above is a burnt sugar fudge. It was meant to just be a plain Madagascan vanilla but I forgot to stir for a few moments (never ever stop stirring!) and the bottom of the pan created a layer of dark brown crust that I hurriedly folded into the mixture with my wooden spoon before it could turn black. What a rescue! And what a result. An almost toffee-like flavour.

Tea is a wonderful way to add flavour to things. Again, adding a great big tbsp to the milk but also pulverising another tbsp worth into a fine powder and whirling it through the golden ripples for good measure. Above is Earl Grey which I make fairly regularly, and below is a Yunnan Black Tea blended with sun dried rosebuds (it’s called Rose Gold and you can buy it from AVANTCHA). Below that is a Jasmine White Tea fudge. That one loses its jasmine-ness quite quickly though so you had better gobble it up within a day or two.

I have also tried Pu Erh Tea, which added an earthy woodiness, but it’s really the more floral teas that add something special and uplifting to the taste and fragrance. Future experiments will include tea powders: Matcha, and definitely Hojicha powder, which tastes like roasted pistachios.

Experimenting with herbs has been super successful. Both with sage and also French Tarragon. Yes, Tarragon. It’s the second best reaction, after the ceps. Basil is coming up this summer. And it makes me wonder if confit garlic might be a good shout. Am I going too far?

If you’re interested in making your own fudge, I always follow Nigella’s Recipe, but I don’t use an electric beater at the end. I just set a 15 minute timer and beat with a whisk by hand. Don’t be scared by the shocking amount of indulgence this recipe calls for. You’re going to be sharing it with everyone you love, after all.

If you have any ideas you’d like me to try, just pop them in the comments below. And don’t forget to subscribe for more food inspiration, and stories about love. I also have a series in mind about inanimate kitchen utensils imbued with emotion. I’ve drafted two already. One is called ‘Gorgeous, Hateful Colander’ and the other is called ‘The Mother F*cking Pastry Brush’.

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