Valentine Gifts - Fudge

Between last night and this morning I made six trays of fudge as Valentine gifts.   Three White Chocolate Walnut, two Chocolate Walnut and one Maple Walnut.   Each tray weighs just under two and half pounds.

Four are being mailed east, one is for Matt and Dana and since the White Chocolate Walnut is my favourite, I'm keeping  one of those  for us.

Walnut and White Chocolate Fudge
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1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream

1/2 cup of butter

pinch of salt
1/4 cup of white Corn Syrup
6 to 8 ounces Callebaut White Chocolate
Walnuts - Toasted
2 teaspoons vanilla


Note: For Chocolate fudge substitute semi-sweet or dark chocolate for the White.

Add the two sugars, butter, cream, corn syrup and salt into a sauce pan. Place over medium heat.  Stir while bringing to a boil.  Lower the heat and continue to stir slowly while the mixture cooks. After about 7 minutes, test by pouring a small amount into some cold water. You want it to form a soft ball. (about 235°F to 238°F on a candy thermometer) When it reaches soft ball stage, remove from the heat, and let rest for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add the vanilla and the white chocolate and stir until the white chocolate melts.  You will notice the the fudge starts to thicken almost immediately.  Stir another minute or two or until the fudge starts to lose its shine. Quickly add the walnuts and pour into a buttered dish.

Maple Cream Fudge
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1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
1/3 cup of butter
1/4 cup of maple syrup
pinch of salt
vanilla
Toasted Walnuts

Add the two sugars, butter and cream maple syrup and salt into a sauce pan. Place over medium heat.  Stir while bringing to a boil.  Lower the heat and continue to stir slowly while the mixture cooks.   After about 7 minutes, test by pouring a small amount into some cold water. You want it to form a soft ball.  You might need to cook it for another minute or two.  Remove from the heat, add a couple of teaspoons of vanilla and start stirring.   It takes about 14 or 15 minutes for the fudge to cool and thicken.  Pour into buttered dish.

Option: Replace the cream and cup of white sugar with one can of  Sweetened Condensed Milk and increase the maple syrup to 1 cup.

To make Caramels instead of fudge,

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1 cup butter
1 cup cream
pinch of salt
vanilla


Cook to almost hard ball stage. Let cool slightly, stir and then pour into butter pan or mini muffin
tins.