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Butter pecan fudge is a decadent fusion of rich buttery goodness, toasted pecans, and creamy sweetness that melts seamlessly on the palate. This easy fudge recipe perfectly marries the deep, nutty flavor of roasted pecans with the velvety texture of classic fudge. Whether you’re relishing it during the holidays, gifting it to a loved one, or simply satisfying a sweet craving, this fudge promises a luxurious treat bound to become a favorite.
Butter Pecan Fudge Recipe
Homemade fudge offers a taste authenticity store-bought versions often lack, letting you truly appreciate the quality of ingredients and the magic of handcrafted confections. It’s an ideal way to make special occasions even more memorable or lend an ordinary day a sweetness.
Despite its gourmet feel, this butter pecan fudge is easy to prepare. Even novice bakers can achieve perfection with just a handful of ingredients and minimal equipment. The result is consistently divine, ensuring every bite offers a melt-in-the-mouth experience worth savoring.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for about 5 minutes or until you can smell the pecans. You can also toast them in a frying pan over medium heat.
While the pecans toast, grease an8 x 8 baking panwith butter and set aside. You can line it with parchment if you like.
Combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, whipping cream, and salt in a medium size pot. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it begins to boil, and the bubbles do not disappear when you mix them. It will only take a few minutes to come to a full boil.
Set a time for 5 minutes and stir the mixture constantly while it boils. Once the 5 minutes are up, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in pecans.
Pour the fudge into your prepared pan. Allow fudge to cool until room temperature before cutting, but preferably 24 hours.
The fudge will be set once it is cooled to room temperature, but I like to give it 24 hours to firm up.
Yield: 1 8x8 pan of fudge
Butter pecan fudge is a decadent fusion of rich buttery goodness, toasted pecans, and creamy sweetness that melts seamlessly on the palate.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup of pecans
Instructions
Pace the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven for about 5 minutes or until you can smell the pecans. You can also toast them in a frying pan over medium heat.
Measure out powdered sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.
Combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, whipping cream, and salt in a medium-sized pot. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it begins to boil, and the bubbles do not disappear when you mix them. It will only take a few minutes to come to a full boil.
Set a time for 5 minutes and stir the mixture constantly while it boils.
Once the 5 minutes are up, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in pecans.
Pour the fudge into your prepared pan. Allow fudge to cool until room temperature before cutting, but preferably 24 hours.
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).
After letting the fudge cool, it's time to beat it. It is important to stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken and its surface starts to look dull or matte. Now is the time to stop beating and pour the fudge into a mould.
Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.
Choose the right butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter, though using salted gives it a bit of contrast, like salted caramel. If you'd prefer to enjoy the richness of chocolate, choose unsalted butter. Don't over-stir the fudge.
Another key part of a successful fudge texture is when you stir the mixture. Stirring the sugar and milk during the initial stages of cooking allows the sugar to dissolve. However, once the mixture comes to a boil, it's time to put the spoon down.
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.
The fudge is then beaten as this makes the fudge slightly crumbly rather than chewy. Beating the mixture encourages the formation of small sugar crystals, which leads to the crumbly texture. The crystals may not be noticeable in themselves but the fudge mixture will thicken and turn from shiny to matte in appearance.
OPTION 3) Sieve together some powdered sugar and cocoa powder, and gradually work this into your unset fudge until it reaches the consistency of dough, then roll out and cut into squares, or shape into balls and then roll in powdered sugar (roll the balls in icing sugar, not yourself).
Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture. Pay attention to the timetable specified in the recipe, and you'll get the hang of it after a batch or two.
Good use of failed fudge: fudge that is too hard, too soft, too runny, too sugary, too chewy, etc. Proportions are as follows: for every 2 cups (roughly 1 pound yield) of any failed fudge that is not runny, you'll need 1 egg, ½ cup all-purpose flour, and ½ cup milk.If fudge is soupy, halve the milk (to ¼ cup).
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.
Can I Use Salted Butter to Replace Unsalted Butter and Visa Versa? In a pinch, you can replace unsalted butter with salted, as long as you reduce the amount of additional salt in the recipe.
The key to creamy, luscious fudge is controlling crystal formation. If the sucrose (table sugar) crystals are small, the fudge will feel creamy and smooth on your tongue. But if the crystals are large, the fudge develops a crumbly, dry, or even coarse texture.
The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.
If you add a teaspoon of Cream of Tartar to fudge this will inhibit the formation of crystals to a degree but please be aware THIS DOES NOT REPLACE THE BEATING PROCESS!
Pour the mixture over the chocolate, being sure to shake, not scrape, the mixture from the pot. Set aside to cool for 10 to 12 minutes. (This prevents a grainy consistency.) Using the clean wooden spoon or a standing mixer on low speed, stir or beat the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated.
Introduction: My name is Kareem Mueller DO, I am a vivacious, super, thoughtful, excited, handsome, beautiful, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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