I can't fudge.

When I was a kid my dad got off work at 3pm and he would be home when my brother and I got home from school.  At least once a week, he would make his special fudge for us before Mom got home. He was a chocoholic like me. He called his fudge 'spoon fudge' because you had to eat it with a spoon...he didn't use the candy thermometer or the soft-ball method...he let it boil for 5 minutes and then added butter and vanilla, let it cool and poured it into a pyrex and refridgerated it...then we would get spoons of it and go outside!

  My favorite kind is a little grainy and crunchy...but I have been trying for 3 weeks to make it grainy or regular.
I. CAN. NOT.   It's driving me crazy....so I am going to make some more ...already tried this morning and it did not work...sigh.

Any suggestions?  I don't have a candy thermometer, it's on my gift list for when the family needs ideas because I can't find one when I am out.  and I apparently don't do the soft-ball stage right either...HELP ME.


WOO HOO!!!   I have finally made perfect fudge!  I can make it my way (crunchy-ish, and everybody else's way (smooth and velvety).  The KEY for me was a candy thermometer.  I am so happy, I made some last night at 10:30!  Only other advice besides the candy thermometer is 'don't make it if it's going to rain or is raining'.  Here's the original old-fashioned recipe.


Hershey's Old Fashioned Rich Chocolate Fudge

• 3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Line 8 or 9 inch square pan with foil; butter foil.
2. In large heavy saucepan stir together first three ingredients; stir in milk, with a wooden spoon*.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil.
4. Boil without stirring, to 234 degrees F on a candy thermometer (or until syrup, when dropped in very cold water forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water). Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of pan. (This can take 20-30 minutes).
5. Remove from heat. Add butter & vanilla.
6. DO NOT STIR! Cool at room temperature to 110 degrees F (lukewarm). (This can take 2 to 2-1/2 hours).
7. Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens & loses some of its gloss. (This can take 15-20 minutes. It really works best if you have someone to 'tag-team' with.) It starts to look more like frosting than a thick syrup when it is ready.
8. Quickly spread into prepared pan; cool.
9. Cut into squares.
10. Store wrapped loosely in foil in the refrigerator.
11. *it is very important not to use a wire whisk or the fudge will not set up. Also just stir gently, even though the cocoa will stay floating on top, it will mix in as the mixture heats up.

Sometimes I wouldn't let this cool and I would pour it straight into the pan and pop into fridge....LOVE!

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/hersheys-old-fashioned-rich-cocoa-fudge-4573#ixzz1Uocdra8G