Penuche fudge, aka brown sugar fudge, contains just six ingredients, but it isn’t for the faint at heart to prepare. This one requires a little extra attention. For example, don’t allow meddling spouses or family members in the kitchen while you’re cooking because if they stir it when they shouldn’t, they’ll ruin the texture!
Like praline candy that is often found in shops in New Orleans, Penuche fudge is primarily a regional confection found in New England and a few places in Southern parts of the United States. Penuche is derived from the Spanish word for raw sugar known as Panocha. It’s thought to have been made popular by the Portuguese whaling families that settled in New Bedford, MA, and Essex CT in the mid to late 1700s.
In New England, it’s common to add Maple syrup or maple sugar to the recipe, where it’s sometimes referred to as maple syrup penuche fudge. In either case, the texture of Penuche fudge is quite smooth, not grainy at all. It has a rich caramel-like flavor and the texture changes slightly when pecans or walnuts are added.
We’re sharing three tried and true, delectable penuche fudge recipes below, based on cooking ability. If you’re new to making fudge, we recommend the no-fail version. It’s by far the most forgiving to achieve the perfect texture and flavor. If you know your way around the kitchen and this isn’t your first rodeo, you’ll love our traditional Penuche and Maple versions.
- No-Fail Penuche Fudge (perfect for beginners & busy folks)
- Traditional Penuche aka Brown Sugar Fudge
- Maple Penuche (a New England Fave)
How to Make Traditional Penuche Fudge
You’ll want to use a heavy, high-sided 3-quart saucepan. Combine brown sugar, white sugar, and milk.
Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. As the mixture is coming to a boil, it should be stirred continuously, but once it reaches a boil, STOP stirring.
Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (235 degrees F on a candy thermometer), then remove it from the heat.
Add the vanilla and the butter, but do not stir the mixture!
Allow the mixture to cool, without stirring, completely undisturbed until it reaches 110 degrees F and the exterior of the pan feels lukewarm to the touch, about 35-40 minutes.
While the mixture is cooling, generously butter an 8-inch-square pan. Once the mixture reaches, 110F beat it with a wooden spoon until it becomes thick and begins to lose its gloss.
Quickly stir in the pecans, and pour into the pan. being careful not to scrape the sides, as doing so will add in the unwanted sugar crystals, which will ruin the texture of your finished fudge.
The crystals are affectionately known as the cooks share. Usually, we just devour these while we wait for the fudge to set. Store the fudge between layers of waxed paper in vacuum seal bags or airtight containers.
Let the fudge cool completely, cut into 1-1/2-inch squares with a sharp knife, and enjoy.
New England Penuche Fudge Recipe
You’ll Need:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups of sugar
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- In a 3-quart saucepan, combine brown sugar, white sugar, and milk. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (236°F on a candy thermometer).
- Remove from the heat. Add the butter and vanilla, but do not stir.
- Let the mixture cool without stirring until it reaches 110°F and the outside of the pan feels lukewarm, about 40 minutes.
- While the mixture is cooling, butter an 8-inch-square pan.
- Using a wooden spoon beat the mixture until it becomes thick and begins to lose its gloss.
- Quickly stir in the pecans, and pour into the pan. (Avoid scraping the sides, you don’t want to add the sugar crystals.)
- Cool completely, cut into 1-1/2-inch squares with a sharp knife.
Maple Penuche Fudge
You’ll Need:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup maple sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp maple extract
1 cup chopped nuts
- In a 3-quart saucepan combine the sugars and cream. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (236°F on a candy thermometer).
- Remove from the heat.
- Add the butter and maple extract, but do not stir.
- Let the mixture cool without stirring until it reaches 110°F and the outside of the pan feels lukewarm about 40 minutes.
- While the mixture is cooling, butter an 8-inch-square pan.
- With a wooden spoon, beat the mixture until it becomes thick and begins to lose its gloss.
- Quickly stir in the pecans, and pour into the pan. (Avoid scraping the sides, you don’t want to add the sugar crystals.)
- Cool completely, cut into 1-1/2-inch squares with a sharp knife.
How to Make No Fail Penuche Fudge
Prepare an 8″x8″ pan by buttering it or by spraying an 8″x8″ pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper. If you have a silicone pan, you can skip the parchment paper altogether.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring as needed.
Stir in the brown sugar and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously as it cooks.
Gently pour in the milk and stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil.
Remove the candy base from the heat, set it on a back burner, and let it cool, completely undisturbed for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the mixture is lukewarm or at room temperature.
Stir in the vanilla extract. Stir in powdered sugar, one to one-half cup at a time, stirring until completely combined.
Add powdered sugar just until the mixture is thick and has the expected consistency of fudge. Do not over-stir.
Stir in the coarsely chopped pecans.
Transfer the fudge into the prepared pan and top with additional pecans if desired. Cover and let the fudge sit, undisturbed for at least 4 hours. Once cooled, store the fudge in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
No-Fail Penuche Fudge Recipe
You’ll Need:
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 to 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans plus additional for topping if desired
- Spray an 8″x8″ pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring as needed.
- Stir in the brown sugar and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Gently pour in the milk to avoid splattering, and stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil.
- Remove the candy base from the heat, set it on a back burner, and let it cool, completely undisturbed for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the mixture is lukewarm or at room temperature.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Stir in powdered sugar, one to one-half cup at a time, stirring until completely combined. Add powdered sugar just until the mixture is thick and has the expected consistency of fudge. Do not over-stir.
- Stir in the coarsely chopped pecans.
- Transfer the fudge into the prepared pan and top with additional pecans if desired.
- Let the fudge sit, undisturbed for at least 4 hours.
Troubleshooting Grainy, gritty, super-hard fudge
It helps to know before you begin making fudge, what causes fudge recipes to fail. Fudge is a recipe with a high saturation of sugar, so once that sugar melts, it can easily recrystallize if certain conditions exist. That recrystallization process is what causes some fudge to have a grainy or gritty texture.
To prevent this, read the recipe in its entirety before beginning, and have all of the ingredients ready. Secondly, don’t stir roughly, the trick is to keep sugar crystals OFF the sides of the pan. If sugar crystals accumulate on the sides of the pan and then fall into the concentrated sugar mixture- it will trigger recrystallization.
While the fudge is cooling, do not move it or disturb it in any way. Do not poke it, do not touch it, as any of these things can trigger recrystallization, which can and will ruin the texture of your fudge. You have been warned. If you love penuche, try these delicious New Orleans style penuche cookies too!
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Thank you for the hints!