Not sure what happened Tracey, but it sure sounds like it was overcooked. I wonder if your thermometer is accurate?

I make a traditional style fudge that doesn't have marshmallows or marshmallow fluff and I never use the thermometer when making fudge. I use the cold water test to check for the different stages. There is a fine line between softball stage and hardball stage.

Ann

I make a non-traditional style fudge that needs no thermometer, no marshmallows or marshmallow fluff`, and it's so rich it's sinful. My grandma found the recipe on the side of a box of confectioners sugar years and years ago (Domino, I believe), and it's been passed down to the 4th generation as Domino no longer puts the recipe on their box (to my knowledge).

1/2 cup butter (NOT margarine these days)
1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp milk
In a hot double boiler, melt the butter. Add the sugar and the cocoa and stir til boiling. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir till lightly boiling. Pour into a buttered 8"x8" pan. Let harden. Cut into small pieces. Very rich, very high in calories probably. But it was our family's favorite fudge.

It's a little bit on the grainy side due to the confectioner's sugar.

Donna

tracey, I often make the marshmallow fluff type of fudge and I agree with AnnT, I think it's overcooked. Check your thermometer. I don't use one, I dump a drop of the cooked mixture into a cup of cold water, just like Grandma taught me, but I've found a single batch takes about 7 minutes, a double batch longer.

Oh, and those white chips can be a real PIA, they're nicely creamy one time and crumbly and dry the next, and that's the same brand. Mine is seldom pourable, but not "gloppable" either, somewhere in the middle.

Annie

If you like white chocolate don't buy the chips. You need to buy a good quality white chocolate.

This recipe makes a very rich, smooth and creamy fudge. Not sugary unless it is over cooked.

White Chocolate and Toasted Walnut Fudge

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
2 teaspoons vanilla

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.

This Maple Walnut fudge also has a very smooth creamy texture.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Maple Cream Fudge
=================
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
. 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 Carmels 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.

Here is a link that might be useful: Homemade Fudge

Tracey, Christy makes fudges with the marshmallow creme. It's supposed to be easier but between that and those white chocolate chips I think it can be tricky. A few suggestions if you'd like to try again. First I'd make sure the chips were at least at room temp and maybe I'd even stick them in microwave for a few seconds to make sure they're warmish. Then I'd go ahead and add the chips first before the marshmallow creme, stir a couple times then add the marshmallow creme. Stir only until it begins to stiffen up some. At that point you're only really trying to incorporate everything and cool it a bit. Maybe you're very strong and a minute is too much. Smiles. Good luck. Hey it can always make excellent crumbles for on ice cream... or in ice cream, or on top of a pumpkin cheesecake.

Don't know if this is fact or fiction, but I have never been able to make fudge if the humidity is too high. Therefore I do not even try if the "sun ain't shining"!
My recipe is from the 60's and uses regular marshmallows and chocolate chips, among other things.
Just a thought.
Here is my recipe:
in a heavy 2 quart saucepan
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup Pet evaporated skimmed milk
12 regular marshmallows, 1/2 cup butter
few grains salt
cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat to a boil. boil and stir 5 minutes more.
Take off heat,
Stir in until completely melted 1 cup chocolate chips,
then add
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
spread in a buttered 8" inch pan, cool. cut into 30 pieces.
from McCalls Magazine ad for Pet evaporated milk 1967

We call this our "low calorie Fudge"...because it uses skimmed evaporated milk....lol

Murphy , you can make fudge in any weather, BUT, you have to make some timing adjustments. You really can never make fudge going just by time. You need to cook the mixture until it reaches the softball stage and weather will effect how long it takes to reach that stage.

I live on the rainy west coast of Canada. I've never had a problem making fudge when it rains. Or in any other type of weather.

Ann

Grandma used to swear that humidity would ruin fudge, or make it "go to sugar". We used to pray that it would go to sugar because then we'd get to eat it instead of having it sent off to other family members as gifts, LOL.

I used to make the traditional fudge but now I have carpal tunnel badly enough that I can't beat it, so now I use the marshmallow cream recipe. I can't knead bread either. I don't even ride Copenhagen as much as I used to because just holding the reins is painful within a few minutes.

Ah well, that's what bread machines, wrist braces and marshmallow cream are for. Haven't figured out the reining thing yet, but I will!

Annie

Thanks for the recipes...I always add a tsp of instant espresso to my chocolate fudge.
It really enhances the flavor.

Linda

Thank you thank you thank you for the tips and recipes!!! It appears the culprit was indeed my thermometer. I tested it and it had water boiling at 220� so I guess that means I overcooked my fudge at least 5 degrees and probably closer to 10. I will probably give this one more try since it's for my niece. The things we do for our family:)

Tracey