It's Fudge Guys (but not as we know it...)

So, TWO momentous things!!

One is (that according to blogger) this is my 600th post!!!

Wow, who'd have thought it?

The second is that I realised the other day that in the entire time I've been writing this blog I haven't actually made any fudge!

Again, who'd have thought it?

We used to make fudge quite often when I was growing up especially at Christmas along with coconut ice and peppermint cremes and as Christmas is fast approaching I thought I'd give the fudge a whirl.

I shoved a heart attack inducing amount of sugar into a pan along with some milk, a can of evaporated milk and a dash of vanilla essence a bit of butter and boiled it to buggery.

Bloody scary stuff fudge!  It reaches temperatures that can strip flesh and burn a hole right through your kitchen work surface (don't worry, I didn't do either ...).

It looked an smelt great as I tipped it into the tray to cool.  A lovely golden mass of thick golden syrup.

Now I only recently realised that the stuff of my childhood isn't actually fudge in the tradition sense.  Tradition fudge is soft and chewy and doesn't really do much for me.  The stuff I like is Scottish tablet.

Tablet is much harder and has a crumblier texture than fudge and I believe it was originally used in the same way as Kendle mint cake, an energy boost for climber and walkers giving them a huge sugar rush.

Anyway, my fudge looked FAB!!

After it had cooled I stuck it in the fridge over night to fully set and harden and the next morning I took it out ready to cut it into squares but ...

It was still a runny mass of sugar syrup ...

I turned to the internet for advice ...

Perhaps I hadn't boiled it for long enough - maybe it hadn't got hot enough - I may have skimped on the beating process as it cooled ...

BUGGER!!!

BUT - it COULD be rescued.  All I needed to do was reboil it and beat it hard.

It seemed to be working, the fudge thickened in the pan, I beat the bejesus out of it and bunged it back in the fridge.

Two hours later I had toffee ...

Soft, chewy, unctuous toffee but NOT fudge!

I could work with that!!

I pulled off bits of toffee, rolled them into balls and dusted them in icing sugar and coco to give them a chocolate coating and to stop them being so sticky.  Stuck them back in the fridge and congratulated myself on a good save.

As I mentioned to a friend, what with these balls and my cock cakes I could, with my continuing baking disaster (which would be TOTALLY saved if those Thermomix people would get on the case and send me my freebee!!) soon have a complete, anatomically accurate man!

Anyway, when I opened the fridge this morning I was met with DISATER number two!!

All my balls have spread and melded together but I will NOT down hearted (well, maybe a little ...) - I REFUSE to be defeated!

I have a PLAN!!!

Stay tuned ...