Audrey Faye’s Fudge

My daughter Cassie and I run a home-based baking business called Clark’s Cookies and Cakes. She specializes in creating beautifully decorated sugar cookies, while I mainly focus on cakes. My favorite cakes to bake are more traditional in nature, like red velvet and pound cake. Since the holidays are on the way, I want to share a recipe for one of our family’s favorite confections. It is a tradition for us to make it for every holiday, especially at Christmas. I got the recipe from my great-great aunt, who brought it back to the United States in the 1940s or 1950s after being stationed with her husband in Germany. It is called “fudge,” but it is not really the same type of fudge we usually eat here in the south. Expect it to come out with a different texture than the fudge you would buy somewhere like Buc-ee’s. It is firmer and more candylike than ordinary fudge, and it is absolutely delicious. You probably already have most
of what you need on hand.

by Nita Clark

Ingredients

• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 5 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• ⅔ of a cup of hot water
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

“It is called ‘fudge,’ but it is not really the same type of fudge we usually eat here in the south.”

Nita Clark

Directions

1. Prepare a dish for the fudge by buttering a deep plate or small, shallow dish. 
2. Place all ingredients, except the vanilla, into a medium pot on the stovetop. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Turn the mixture down to medium to medium-low heat, but be sure to keep the mixture boiling. Stir the mixture occasionally, especially on the sides of the pot, to prevent build-up. 
3. 3. Continue to cook until mixture reaches soft ball stage, or 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. (Test for soft ball stage by dropping a small amount in very cold water. It should form a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water.) It may take up to 45 minutes to reach the soft ball stage.
4. Once the mixture is at soft ball stage, remove from heat, then add vanilla and nuts, if using. Stir well and pour the mixture into the prepared dish. The fudge will begin to harden almost immediately. 
5. When the fudge is set completely but still warm, cut into squares

Note: Similar to divinity or pralines, do not make Audrey Faye’s Fudge if the humidity is extremely high or it is raining outside. The extra moisture in the air can cause the sugar to crystallize, creating a grainy texture. The fudge may also fail to set properly.

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