Stanthorpe Fudge

Over the coming weeks I am going to be importing my recipes from my old blog into meg-made so that they are all in one delicious place. The very first one to come across, by request, is fudge!

Stanthorpe is the small country town in Queensland that my husband comes from. Over the past fourteen years we would usually spend Christmas with my family, and spend Easter (eating our body weight in sugar) out on the farm with Pete's family.

Pete's Dad showing Madeleine the cows down the back paddock last year (much to my initial terror)

As I haven't been able to eat chocolate since I was 9 (yes I miss it, but no, it is not worth suffering a migraine for) we would make a batch of caramel fudge when making chocolate Easter eggs so that I wouldn't be left out of the sugar binge that seems to be Easter. This very same fudge recipe has been used each year, and because I found it in a recipe book out on the farm, it's always been known as "Stanno Fudge".

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup milk

4 oz of butter (125g)

200g condensed milk

1 tablespoon golden syrup

Method:

1. Combine milk and sugar in a heavy based saucepan (the heavier the better and the less attention you will have to pay it), and heat for about 20 minutes to slowly bring the sugar to the boil. 

2. Add all other ingredients, and gently boil for 30 minutes. Stir every few minutes so that the bottom doesn't burn. It will gradually start turning a delicious golden brown colour as the sugar, well, caramelises (funny that!!).

3. When the fudge has thickened in the pot and it starts getting difficult to stir and starts to set when left to rest, it is ready! (Warning, it is as hot as lava, don't try and put your finger in for a test!). It needs to be beaten though, to get air into before it cools and sets. Either using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the hot fudge for a few minutes until you can see bubbles through the mixture. (I used a stand mixer but didn't photograph it).

5. Pour into a tin/dish that is lined with parchment paper and leave to cool for a few hours in the fridge. If you are impatient like we are, we put it in the freezer, and half an hour later, were thrilled to discover it was ready!!!

6. Cut into rough bite size pieces and devour immediately, or wrap up to give as gifts for the long tube-ride home!

2013 Flavour additions

This year we decided to do two flavours of caramel fudge.

Flavour 1 - Salted Caramel. 
Simply add 1 tablespoon of sea salt flakes to the mixture immediately after pouring into the dish, and stir quickly. You could also sprinkle a little on top if you like lots of salt!

Flavour 2 - Lavender
You could infuse lavender into a little milk and pour that through the fudge, however, I really like having the little crunch of the actual lavender flowers. Add 1 teaspoon of lavender flowers into the mixture after pouring into the dish and stir immediately.

You will enjoy the fudge a whole lot more once you make peace with the amount of sugar you are pouring into the pot! From that point on, there's no looking back!

Last year we made cinnamon, maple/pecan, rose and lemon fudge. I'll have to take suggestions next Easter for some new flavour ideas, but it'll have to wait until then, our waistlines won't permit two batches a year!!