::In sports announcer voice:: ARE YOU READY?????
No really, are you ready for the best freaking fudge you will ever put on those cute little taste buds of yours? I mean, don't get me wrong. There are one hundred thousand flavors of fudge and a lot of them are really amazing, but penuche is the creme de la creme in it's embodiment of simplicity while being oh so flavorful.
Think of it as the Louis Vuitton of fudge, but with far more frugal pricing.
This penuche fudge is ridiculously easy to make, quick to set and so far from labor intensive you should probably pour yourself a glass of wine while you make it. I already have...hahaha, I'm just kidding (not kidding.) Anyways...penuche, what the heck is it besides something we're going to have to spend a few more minutes on the elliptical for?
What sets it apart is the use of brown sugar to make the fudge than the typical use of white sugar. Those beautiful granules of brown sugar combined with the evaporated milk and butter pull such a sweet, maple flavor and hints of caramel that my New England girl heart can barely take it. And apparently there is still a use for evaporated milk - penuche fudge.
Whenever you are working with sugar, it can always go a little haywire, but in the realm of mishaps this penuche fudge is really simple just as long as you:
- Stir the whole time you bring it to a boil
- Only stir occasionally after it comes to a boil and you lower the heat
- Keep an eye on your candy thermometer and remove it from the heat as soon as it reaches 235°F
After that, let your mixer do all the labor intensive work of whipping the texture into the fudge. After all the ingredients come together, pour and smooth out in your prepared pan. I prefer not to have it not completely smooth on top because of the look of the ribbons after it is cut into squares.
You are just a 30-minute wait away until the fudge is set and ready for your enjoyment. Thirty minutes never felt so long, but when you bite into that soft, buttery fudge with just the right crunch of walnut it's going to be totally worth it.
Penuche Fudge
Ingredients
- 5 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 ¼ stick unsalted butter (10 tablespoons )
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Lightly coat an 8x8 square pan with cooking spray, then line with plastic wrap smoothing out as much as possible.
- In a heavy bottom sauce pan, add evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously over medium-high heat.
- Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce head to medium-low and clip candy thermometer on the side of the pan. Cook until temperature reaches 235°F, stirring occasionally.
- Once mixture reaches 235°F, remove from heat and transfer to a heat proof bowl or standing mixer. Using paddle attachment or hand mixer, add confectioners sugar stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Once incorporated, beat on medium speed for four minutes. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla. On low speed add walnuts and mix until evenly incorporated, less than 1 minute.
- Transfer to the prepared 8x8 pan, scraping the side of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula. Store pan in the refrigerator for 25-30 minutes until the middle of the fudge is set. Once set, use plastic wrap to easily remove from the pan. Remove plastic wrap and transfer to a cutting board. Cut square into 6x6 rows.
Susan says
Recipe sounds great. Before I make it, I have a Question about storage. Does it need to be refrigerated? If so, how do you give as gifts. Thank you in advance.
Lynne says
I just made this today for a cookie exchange on Saturday. Penuche is my favorite fudge (for me, without nuts). This fudge tastes great and it came out perfect! Thank you. How do store your fudge?
Lori says
I am SO excited to make this! It sounds very much like my favorite frosting since I was a kid, but we call it Masontown frosting. It doesn't actually need cake under it, but I guess it slows you down a bit! Anyway, it's my sister's favorite, too, so I'm going to surprise her with it on Saturday ~ Yum! One question though, why does the recipe say to divide the butter? I only see one place where butter is added, so not sure why or how it's divided. Thanks for sharing!
Lauren says
Hey Lori! Penuche flavored frosting sounds amazing!!! Thanks for catching that, you don't need to split up the butter. I would maybe recommend cutting it into tablespoons for more even melting. Hope you enjoy!
Hana says
Can't wait to make this! I've been looking for simple ingredients for a fudge like yours.
Question: have you done this without a candy thermometer? I don't have one and am wondering if I could judge when it's at 235 by texture or time before going out to buy one.
Thanks! 🙂
Lauren says
Hi Hana! I personally haven't tried without the thermometer, but if you under cook it it's just the texture that will be affected. It should still set. That said, a thermometer is totally worth the investment! If you have a digital meat thermometer, that will work too!