Old Fashioned Penuche Fudge Recipe (2024)

This old fashioned penuche fudge recipe has been a family favorite for over 50 years. It's a traditional fudge recipe, made with brown sugar and heavy cream, and has an amazing flavor a little bit like caramel, and a lot like southern pralines.

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It's the first Monday of the month, and that means it's time for the Taste Creations Blog Hop. This month we're making Christmas candies, and I knew it was time to share my family's favorite penuche fudge recipe.

What is Penuche?

Penuche is a soft, fudge-like candy made with a traditional fudge-making technique. It is made with brown sugar, cream, salt, butter, vanilla, and clear Karo syrup (that's my pastry-chef mother's addition to the classic recipe). The flavor comes from the caramelized brown sugar (white sugar is never used in penuche) and vanilla.The word penuche comes from the Italianpanucci. This candyis also sometimes spelled penoche. Penuche can be eaten as a candy, or used as penuche frosting on a sheet cake. In the southern United States, it is sometimes called Brown Sugar Fudge Candy or Creamy Praline Fudge.

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How to Make Old Fashioned Penuche Fudge

Candy making is a precise endeavor, and it's worth it to have the right equipment to make your job easier. Before we jump into the penuche recipe, I'm going to share a few items that I think make fudge-making (or any candy-making) a LOT easier.

Helpful Special Equipment for Making Fudge:

  • Candy Thermometer: It is critical to cook candy recipes to the precise correct temperature, and a candy thermometer is extremely helpful in getting this right. There are some old-fashioned ways to estimate if the mixture is at the right temperature, but it's SO much easier just knowing that you've reached the right stage when using a candy thermometer.
  • A Square Silicone Cake Pan: This is my secret weapon for making homemade fudge and caramels. The candies--no matter how sticky--pop right out! No lining the tray with wax paper or parchment paper! No buttering pans! It makes candy-making so much easier.

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Ingredients for Penuche Fudge Recipe

  • 4 cups of packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups whipping cream (can also use half-and-half)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (2 ounces, or half a stick)
  • 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

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First, combine the light-brown sugar, cream, salt, and Karo syrup.

Substitutions that Work in this PenucheRecipe:

  • You can use all cream (like I did), or half-and-half, or one cup milk (whole milk) and one cup of cream.
  • you can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter
  • you can use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar (the color will be a little darker, and the flavor a little more intense).
  • DO NOT USE margarine instead of butter. The extra water content in the margarine will interfere with the fudge setting.

Why use Corn Syrup in a Fudge Recipe?

Original, old-fashionedfudge recipes don't use corn syrup, but if you use two different sugars with differing intrinsic crystal structures (like the granulated sugar and the corn syrup do),crystallizationis inhibited. In other words, when you combine sugars, the fudge is much less prone to sugaring, which is when sugar crystals form and the candy has a gritty mouth-feel. You want your fudge to be creamy and smooth. The addition of just a little bit of Karo syrup acts as aninterfering agent. Thelong chains of glucose molecules in corn syrup help to prevent thesucrose molecules in the brown sugar from re-forming (which is what sugar crystals want to do!). You don't have to use corn syrup in your fudge recipes, but using it will make the fudge turn out better moreconsistently.

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Stir these ingredients together until the sugar crystals dissolve.

Use a damp, clean kitchen cloth or a pastry brush to clean the sides of the pot of any residual sugar crystals. If you leave any sugar crystals on the side of the pot, it can act as a seed crystal, setting off a chain reaction and making your fudge grainy and sugared.

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Heat the sugar mixture in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. DO NOT STIR the mixture at all at this stage! If any sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, use a pastry brush and water to wash it away. As the temperature rises, the bubbles will do all the stirring you need. But if you stir the mixture at this stage, you will create sugar crystals, and you'll end up with a grainy, gritty fudge.

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Cook without stirring until the mixture reaches the proper temperature: soft ball stage, or 235 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat, and stir in the four tablespoons butter and vanilla, just until combined.

Let it cool until it reaches between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Then beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and loses its glossiness.

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Pour mixture into your silicone pan or prepared pan, and let it set. It takes about three hours for fudge to set at room temperature.

Can Fudge be Set in the Fridge or Freezer?

Yes, you can speed up the fudge setting process by placing the fudge in either the refrigerator or the freezer. It will set in about 2 hours in the fridge, and in about one hour in the freezer.

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After the fudge has set, remove the candy from the pan. If you're using that magical silicone pan, it's as easy as turning it over on a cutting board! (I really can't emphasize how much I love using silicone pans for candy-making.). Cut into bite-sized pieces.

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The fudge is rich and delicious, so cut into pretty small pieces, about one inch square.

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How to Store Penuche Fudge

You have several options for storing your homemade fudge:

  • You can store fudgeat room temperature for up to three weeks. Wrap in waxed paper, or even let it sit out on a Christmas cookie tray. If the fudge sits out uncovered, the outer shell will dry out a bit, but it will remain smooth and creamy when you bite in to it.
  • You can freeze fudge if you want to use it past the three week mark. Wrap the slab of fudge in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to three months.
  • DO NOT STORE IN THE FRIDGE! Fudge dries out and gets very crumbly when stored in the refrigerator. For best results, either store at room temperature or the freezer.

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I think you'll love this amazing homemade fudge, with its golden color, caramel flavors, and hint of vanilla, but if you want other fudge recipes, I'm happy to oblige:

Printable Old Fashioned Penuche Fudge Recipe

Want a one page, printable, PDF version of this Penuche fudge recipe? Click on the image below to print directly or download this recipe to your device.

Other Homemade Candy Recipes from the Taste Creations Blog Hop

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Be sure to check out the other delicious homemade candy recipes from my fellow bloggers in the Taste Creations Blog Hop:

Our Good Life: Quick and Easy Gingerbread Fudge

Mom Home Guide: Homemade Peanut Brittle

Breads and Sweets: Homemade Baileys Filled Chocolates

Other Homemade Candy Recipes You Might Like:

Old Fashioned Penuche Fudge Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between fudge and penuche? ›

Penuche often has a tannish color, and is lighter than regular fudge. It is formed by the caramelization of brown sugar; thus, its flavor is said to be reminiscent of caramel. Nuts, especially pecans, are often added to penuche for texture, frequently in the making of penuche candies.

What is the secret to perfect fudge? ›

Valuable tips for successful fudge
  • Don't stir during cooking. Fudge can be cooked on the stove or in the microwave. ...
  • Avoid crystallization. During cooking, sugar crystals can stick to the sides of the pan. ...
  • Let cool before beating. After being cooked, the sugar must crystallize again to create fudge. ...
  • Beat the mixture.

Why is my old fashioned fudge not hardening? ›

The most common culprit behind unset fudge is inaccurate temperature control. If the sugar mixture hasn't reached the correct temperature, your fudge won't set. Ensure you use a reliable candy thermometer and follow temperature guidelines meticulously to achieve the desired consistency.

Why is penuche called penuche? ›

Penuche itself goes by a number of different names: praline fudge, treacle fudge, panucci or "brown sugar fudge", and it's believed that the name derives from the Spanish Mexican word for "raw sugar": panocha.

What does penuche mean in Spanish? ›

Etymology. Mexican Spanish panocha raw sugar, from Spanish, ear of maize, ultimately from Latin panicula panicle — more at panicle.

Should you stir fudge while it's cooking? ›

Don't stir!

Once the fudge reaches soft-ball stage on the candy thermometer, remove from the heat and let the temperature drop to 110°F. Keep that spoon or spatula out of the pot until this happens. If you stir too early in the process, you'll make the sugar crystals too big and end up with grainy fudge.

Why is my 3 ingredient fudge not setting? ›

Why won't my 3 ingredient fudge set? This often happens when the condensed milk and chocolate chip mixture isn't hot enough to start. Everything must be completely melted before it is transferred to the pan to cool.

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has come to a boil, do not stir it. If you do, the sugar can crystallize, giving your fudge a gritty texture. As you beat the fudge, pay attention to color and texture. Once the fudge loses its sheen and thickens, put down your spoon.

What ingredient makes fudge hard? ›

Too cooked

This fudge was cooked to a temperature of 118 °C (244 °F). At this temperature, the sugar is too concentrated and there is not enough water left to form syrup around sugar crystals. The result is hard and brittle fudge.

What temperature should you cook fudge at? ›

Set the thermometer to "soft ball" stage. Turn flame to medium-high, do not stir the fudge anymore*. Watch the temperature closely, remove from flame when the fudge reaches 232° ((not the soft ball temp of 234°)). While the fudge is approaching temperature, butter the dish the fudge will be poured into.

How to make fudge more solid? ›

How do you fix fudge that is too soft? Bring the fudge back to a boil with 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 ml) of cream. If your fudge is soft or runny, it probably didn't come up to a high enough temperature while it was cooking. Put it back into the saucepan and add 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 ml) of 35% fat whipping cream.

What flavor is penuche fudge? ›

Penuche Standard Texture

It should have a rich caramel flavor, especially if they are cooked (not the "instant" types of fudge). The texture is changed up when nuts are used. When cutting into the candy, having large pieces of the nuts gives it both a visual and taste enhancement.

What is American fudge? ›

Fudge is a type of confection that is made by mixing sugar, butter and milk. It has its origins in the 19th century United States, and was popular in the women's colleges of the time.

What is the difference between penuche and Panutsa? ›

Peanut panocha, also spelled panutsa in the Philippines is a cousin of penuche. Penuche, origin is Nahuatl (Mexican), are fudgy candies made with brown sugar, heavy cream, milk, and chopped nuts.

Is caramel the same as fudge? ›

So, if you're still trying to get your head around the difference between caramel and fudge, think of them as confectionery cousins. Similar in taste, but different in consistency and texture.

What do Americans call fudge? ›

Fudge is a rich, chocolate candy made with plenty of sugar, cream, and butter. Fudge is usually cut into squares and eaten in small quantities. While fudge comes in many different flavors, it's usually chocolate. In the US, another kind of fudge is smooth, melted chocolate that can be poured over the top of ice cream.

What is penuche walnut fudge? ›

This perfect penuche fudge recipe is buttery, creamy, and sweet. Walnuts and brown sugar add a little nutty crunch to the rich caramelly flavor. SO delicious. I added this second fudge making because some folks were having problems with fudge that wouldn't firm up.

What makes fudge different? ›

Although fudge often contains chocolate, fudge is not the same as chocolate. Chocolate is a mix of cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sometimes sugar and other flavorings and is hard and brittle. Fudge is a mixture of sugar, dairy and flavorings that is cooked and cooled to form a smooth, semi-soft confection.

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