Penuche: Brown Sugar Fudge Perfect for Gifting!

Fudge for Christmas?

Sign me up!!!!

This is a recipe I developed myself and if you love a maple-tasting or brown-sugar fudge, then I think you will love this. Easy to make and it freezes beautifully and lasts well in a sealed container.... but this wasn't a big worry because it got eaten so quickly! So here it is, old-fashioned "Penuche" brown sugar fudge with newfangled ease.

I'm reposting this because I know that having a Simple Christmas is important for so many folks and the gift of fudge is wonderful! So we'll share some of our favorite fudge recipes during the next few weeks and this is one of mine... And look at baby Finn here! We did a Living Nativity and he was one year old. Just walking. So stinkin' cute! A wandering baby shepherd... be still my heart. 

A baby shepherd has been sighted! :) This is Finn, when he was one year old... He didn't quite make it into the Living Nativity picture. We decided he was a wandering shepherd... a nomad, mayhap?

I love fudge. I love stopping by places with signs bearing "FRESH FUDGE" because fudge-lovers know what that means: Old fudge just isn't as good.

So the trick with fudge (to me, anywho!!!) is to develop recipes that taste great... and keep tasting great!

This one is perfection. I used Maple Syrup with mine, but if you wanted a more "brown sugar" taste you could use molasses and just cut the amount in half because molasses is a much stronger flavor.

Basically I took the recipe from the small Fluff jar and played with it. Most often I find that if you have a good basic beginning, changing the elements might change the taste, but keep the quality. So that was the goal.

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

6 oz. evaporated milk (half a big can) Or if you're using a 5 oz can, add cream or whole milk to go to six ounces. That silly little extra ounce makes the fudge creamier and stay creamier longer. 

4 TBSP (1/2 stick) butter

3/4 tsp. salt

1 jar Marshmallow Fluff

1/2 cup real Maple Syrup (or use 2 TBSP molasses instead)

1 12 oz bag white chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (if desired)

In large saucepan combine both sugars, milk, butter, salt, Fluff, syrup or molasses. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. (I like a medium-medium/high heat.) Don't worry if marshmallow gets golden... it's supposed to! Make sure you're stirring all edges of pan. 

Cook to soft ball stage (235° to 238 ° on a candy thermometer) 

To kick the thermometer to the curb, test fudge by drizzling a spoon full of fudge into a coffee cup half-filled with cold water. If the fudge schlurps together into a ball, but flattens when you remove it from cup, you're at "soft ball" stage! Go you!!!!

Add in the 12 oz of white chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Stir until all is melted together and pour into foil lined 13" x 9" pan. Cool completely before cutting.

This fudge is amazing. I keep it sealed in a cool room or in the freezer and it loses no quality even two weeks later.

Air "sugars" fudge, making it crusty and taste stale. Keep it sealed and cool.... and while refrigerators are great tools, if your kid leaves the fudge open in the fridge while helping themselves to a piece, then the fudge takes on the smell of the fridge...

So I usually keep it out of the fridge for my own sake because yes... I love fudge!!! This is two weeks later and as sweet and creamy as the day I made it... 

And here's a little catch-up from the farm! Punch and cookies for the kids who call this home before and after school:

And remember the living room floor project? Well, here are the before and after shots!

And a holiday BOOK GIVEAWAY, my friends just like I did on Petticoats and Pistols! A copy of "A Cowboy Christmas", my duo with the amazing Linda Goodnight wants to come live with  you OR a Kindle copy of "Christmas on the Frontier", three wonderful prairie Christmas romances. Because I do love romance, my friends!

Leave a comment about Christmas baking or candy-making and that will get your name into the Christmas Candy Dish!

Wishing you the merriest of Merry Christmases! 

Leave a comment below (or if Blogger gives you a hard time, then leave a comment on my facebook page Ruth Logan Herne....) and we'll count it! 

May God bless you... May the king of all that's good and holy shine upon you and yours and may your heart be healed from any sadness or grief... And may you feel God's love rain down upon you during this beautiful holy season... and all through 2017.

Multi-published, bestselling author Ruth Logan Herne has over two million books in print, and still pinches herself each day to make sure this is real... and it appears to be!

Visit her website ruthloganherne.com or friend her on facebook (Ruth Logan Herne) or  CLICK HERE follow her on Bookbub  She loves getting to know folks!