Candy Recipes
Honey Macadamia Nut Fudge
Yield: about 1 1/2 pounds
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup Half-and-Half
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, or pecans, toasted and chopped
- 36 chocolate-dipped macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, or pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Line an 8 inch square baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter foil; set aside.
- Butter sides of a heavy 2 quart saucepan with butter.
- In the saucepan combine the sugar, brown sugar, Half-and-Half, milk and honey. Cook over medium-high heat to boiling, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugars. This should take about 5 minutes. Avoid splashing mixture on sides of the pan.
- Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until thermometer registers 236 degrees F, or soft-ball stage. Mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over the entire surface. Reaching soft-ball stage should take 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove saucepan from heat.
- Add the 2 tablespoons butter and vanilla extract, but do not stir.
- Cool, without stirring, to lukewarm (110 degrees F). This should take about 50 minutes.
- Remove candy thermometer from saucepan.
- Beat fudge vigorously with the wooden spoon until fudge is just beginning to thicken.
- Add chopped nuts. Continue beating until very thick and just starts to lose its gloss. This should take about 10 minutes total.
- Quickly turn fudge into the prepared pan.
- While fudge is warm, score it into 1 1/4 inch squares.
- If desired, press a chocolate-dipped nut into each square.
- When candy is firm, use foil to lift it out of the pan; cut it into squares.
- Tightly cover the fudge and store in a cool, dry place.