Did I forget a Key step???

[christinab126]

Hello,

I'm attempting to make peanut butter fudge for a work cookie/candy exchange. The recipe says to melt butter then add brown sugar and milk, bring to a boil for two min then remove from heat and add peanut butter, etc. Well, minor detail - I forgot to add the milk before I had it boiling. So all I did was boil sugar and butter for 2 min. I realized I forgot the milk after I had removed the pan from heat and added it then. It stirred in ok, making the mixture creamy. My question is - did I ruin my fudge? If, by some miracle, it cools and is the right consistency am I going to make everyone sick by eating something with raw milk in it?

Thanks for helping with my dumb question.

 

[Joan]

Welcome to the forum christinab126, sorry I can't help with your question but if you just wait for a little time Angie will see your question and give you her expert advice.

Why don't you have a look around the site while you wait, you'll find some very interesting features.

 

[Mitchell65]

I would guess that as, when you boil milk you reduce the water content and alter the consistency your fudge will be too runny but let's see what the expert says.
BTW Hiya Joan how you doing with Skype?
John

 

[Angie]

Hi Christina

Welcome to the site.

No question is ever a dumb question, if your milk was straight from the fridge then I think that it may alter the consistency of your fudge as it won't have fully combined, however, if your milk was at room temperature it may have actually warmed through your mixture a little and although not fully boiled it may not turn out that bad. As you said the mixture started to go creamy which is a good sign.

What you could have done was place it back on the heat for a little while just to warm it through.

A good way to test the consistency of your fudge to see if it is 'done' is to drop a little in a sandwich tin of water and see if you can push the the fudge together with your finger, if it holds its shape it is done, if not and is still a runny consistency then place back on the heat and then do the water drop test again, once it holds it's shape it is ready to be removed from the heat.

Once you are happy with your fudge consistency add your other ingredients in and then beat with a wooden spoon to thicken before placing it in your tin to set.

Another way of ensuring you do not forget ingredients in the future and yes we have all done it is to place them in order on the work surface, that way you will use them in the order of the recipe and remember to use them all.

As you are making the fudge for a work/candy exchange it is always good to ensure that you are completely happy with the product you have made as you are giving it to other people, taste test it and rely on your own judgement. The fudge should be smooth and not grainy, if you are unhappy with it then make a new batch. I always ensure that I am 100% happy with a product before it goes to anyone else. As you are doing this as an exchange you want to make sure yours is the best fudge around!

Good luck!

Here is the fudge recipe I use: Fudge

 

[christinab126]

Thanks guys!!! Against all odds the peanut butter fudge turned out pretty darn good. It's creamy, not grainy and doesn't crumble when I tried to cut it. I attempted chocolate tonight, incorporating some of your tips so we'll see. Minus the wooden spoon. I don't have a wooden spoon so I used a spatula. I noticed a lot of recipes call for you to use one. Why is that?

 

[Angie]

That's great news Christina, I'm glad it turned out okay for you, the taste test is the most important part.

Wooden spoons are usually a tool of choice as they are quite robust in nature and do not bend, nor do they retain heat. They are generally used when make candies/sweets etc as they help to distribute heat evenly and won't scratch your pans when you're stirring. It also assists with the thickening process when you beat the mixture; because the wooden spoon is inflexible it adds more pressure when you are beating allowing your fudge to thicken.

They are an old school baking item and have been around for years so depending on how old your recipe is that may also be another reason why they are included in your recipe guide.

I must admit I do use both when baking depending on what I'm making, some people prefer spatula's because they are easier to clean and do not absorb ingredients into them whereas wood is porous and over time can absorb some of your baking goodies and crack. Although as long as your not putting your wooden spoon in a chilli and then making a batch of candy then you should be good to go.