Maple Fudge Recipe with Real Maple Syrup! - Chopnotch (2024)

FAQs

What is maple fudge made of? ›

Bring maple syrup, heavy cream, and brown sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue to boil, without stirring, until mixture starts to bubble and registers 240 degrees F (166 degrees C) on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Add butter and salt but do not mix.

The basic ingredient in maple syrup is the sap from the xylem of sugar maple or various other species of maple trees. It consists primarily of sucrose and water, with small amounts of the monosaccharides glucose and fructose from the invert sugar created in the boiling process.

Cover with plastic wrap and let cool for 1 hour at room temperature or 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Unmould and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) squares. Store in an airtight container. The fudge squares can be made in advance and freeze very well.

Pure maple syrup is actually made from maple tree sap that's been boiled down to reduce the water content and concentrate the sugars. Those sugars caramelize, resulting in maple syrup's characteristic rich color and flavor. It takes about 10 gallons of sap to make just 1 quart of maple syrup.

You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

How can you fix soft fudge? Put it in a microwave safe bowl that is large enough that it won't boil over. Reheat it to the boiling point and cook for about 3 more minutes. Then you can beat some powdered sugar into it if this doesn't make it set.

We hate to break it to you, but Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth are imposters. Breakfast syrups in the grocery aisle look pretty similar, but they're not all created equal. Most of the dark, sticky elixirs meant for drizzling on the likes of French toast and waffles don't have a drop of real maple syrup in them.

It's much thicker than real syrup and comes out of the bottle with a somewhat gloopy and dense consistency. Real maple syrup, by comparison, is looser; it develops its color and flavor through prolonged boiling and thickening of tree sap.

All USDA Grade A maple syrup must be 100% pure with no additives. It must have a minimum density of 66 brix, equal to 66% sugar.

But how long does fudge last? Depending on the storage method, you can keep fudge fresh for one week to several months. It's all about packaging fudge properly to keep any air from drying it out and avoiding changes in temperature. Those factors can change the flavor and texture of fudge.

Should maple fudge be refrigerated? ›

It will last at least four weeks at room temperature. We do not recommend refrigerating the fudge as that will dry it out.

Fudge is best stored at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks wrapped up in its original wax paper. NEVER REFRIGERATE your fudge as this will draw out the moisture and leave you with dry, crumbly fudge.

Maple syrup gives you carbohydrates in the form of sugars without fiber. As a result, maple syrup can cause swings in blood sugar and insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone that moves sugar in our blood to cells that convert it to energy. People with diabetes may have bad side effects from the sugar in maple syrup.

For example, maple syrup is lower in calories than honey, and therefore may be the better choice for someone looking to lose weight. Pure maple syrup also has fewer carbohydrates and is lower on the glycaemic index than honey, which may make it healthier for certain diets.

For the moment, people with diabetes should keep in mind that even if maple syrup contains some potentially promising elements, it remains a food that should only be eaten once in a while and in limited quantities, just like other sources of concentrated carbohydrates.

Fudge is a dense, rich confection typically made with sugar, milk or cream, butter and chocolate or other flavorings. The base for fudge is boiled until it reaches the soft-ball stage (135 to 140 degrees F), then stirred or beaten as it cools to minimize the formation of sugar crystals.

At its simplest, fudge is a dense, soft candy, often made with sugar and dairy products like butter and milk. Nowadays, fudge is usually flavored with chocolate, but you can utilize pretty much any flavor, such as peanut butter, pumpkin, even birthday cake.

A true staple in Québec, Maple Fudge (aka sucre à la crème) is a smooth, creamy and sinfully decadent maple treat that tastes like pure heaven. Another unavoidable classic in this household on Christmas Day would be Maple Fudge, or what we Québécois refer to as “Sucre à la Crème“.

What distinguishes penuche is the use of brown sugar rather than white. In recent years, it has become common in New England to add maple syrup to the recipe for penuche fudge. Some confectioners will call this "maple syrup penuche fudge", and others do not make any distinction at all.