Better Homes And Gardens Fudge 1950s Old Time

This vintage recipe for fudge lives up to its name! This fudge is perfect for holiday gift giving or for taking to the office party.

I am not absolutely positive, but I am pretty sure that this is the fudge, from the Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cookbook published in 1959, is the same one my sisters and I used to make when we were teenagers. The picture, shown above, seems awfully familiar to me. We also used the recipe that is on the back of the Kraft marshmallow creme jar but I always remember the Kraft fudge as being a little grittier than the Remarkable Fudge.

Making fudge is pretty straightforward but you need to pretend that you are on a cooking show and have everything ready to pour into the heated sugar, milk, and butter mixture once it has reached temperature. Other things that are important are a good candy thermometer and a heavy 3-quart pan. When the mixture starts boiling, it fills the pan and can boil over. Don't try to "fudge" (I crack myself up sometimes) by using a smaller pan. You will end up with a mess and who wants to lose some of that fudgey-goodness to the sides of pan and the stove top?

The instructions say to stir frequently but I start stirring constantly when the sugar-milk-butter mixture starts to boil. I've learned in the past that if I don't, I end up with scorches in the mixture that can taste pretty bitter (despite all of that sugar!).

I used an 8x8x2″ cake pan but wouldn't recommend it. Even the 1 1/2″ square pieces were huge because of the the depth of them. This fudge is very rich and I would follow their recommendation to use 13×9 1/2×2″ pan for thinner pieces.

Are there easier ways to make fudge? Sure. "Extra Easy Fudge" uses a container of frosting, chocolate chips, and the microwave. But we aren't necessarily about "easy" or "quick." For us, the process of making fudge the old-fashioned way is just as important as the final product. There is just something deeply satisfying about being in the moment with stirring the sugar, milk, and butter mixture while watching it come to a full boil and then feeling it change texture and consistency as it becomes candy. Whenever I make it, I savor the memories of making fudge with my sisters (and wishing they were in the kitchen with me).

The recipe calls for a pint of marshmallow creme. All I could find were 7-ounce jars–thank you product shrinkage! However, the lack of that one ounce didn't seem to matter in the final outcome.

Ingredients

4 cups sugar
1- 14 1/2 ounce can (1 2/3) cups) evaporated milk
1 cup butter or margarine (two sticks)
1- 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces
1- 13 oz container marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Notes

The squares are quite thick. You may want to use a 13 x 9 1/2 x 2" pan instead.

This recipe is adapted and updated from the Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Cookbook, 1959.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1" Square
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 276

This vintage recipe for Remarkable Fudge lives up to its name. It is ideal for holiday gift giving or taking to the office party.

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