The Origin Of Fudge
Oh, Fudge! That’s How It Began



CAPSULE REPORT: While many of our favorite sweets have
ancient origins—ice cream, in the form of fruit ice, dates back
5,000 years—fudge is a relatively recent invention, probably
dating to the late 1880s. It may look like a simple confection,
but as anyone who has tried to make fudge from the original
recipe of chocolate, cream, butter and sugar knows, it’s
tricky (hence so many “foolproof” recipes with marshmallow
creme, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, etc.) Here, the
short history of fudge.

Fudge is a drier version of fondant,* made by boiling sugar
in milk to the soft-ball stage and then beating the mixture
while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy texture.
Fudge is an American invention: Some food historians peg the
date to February 14, 1886, but the exact origin and inventor
are disputed. Most stories claim that the first batch of fudge
resulted from a bungled (“fudged”) batch of caramels, hence
the name from the interjection, “Oh fudge!”

*An icing made of sugar syrup and glucose, or sugar, water
and cream of tartar, cooked to the soft-ball stage and then
kneaded to a smooth, soft paste. The paste can be colored or
flavored and used as a center for chocolates or as an icing
for cakes—it is especially popular as a covering for wedding
cakes—and petit fours.

One of the first documentations of fudge is in a letter written
by Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, then a student at Vassar
College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She wrote that a
schoolmate’s cousin made fudge in Baltimore in 1886 and
sold it for 40 cents a pound. She obtained the recipe, and in
1888, made 30 pounds of it for the Vassar Senior Auction.
Word of the confection spread to other women’s colleges.
Wellesley and Smith developed their own versions of this
“original” fudge recipe. All three recipes follow.

The original fudge recipes were famously delicate: Precise
measurements, cooking time and constant stirring were
crucial for perfect fudge. The recipe looks simple—heat a
mixture of sugar, butter and milk or cream to the soft-ball
stage (224°-238°F), then beat it to a smooth, creamy
consistency while it cools. But is easy to undercook or
overcook a batch (not every home cook had—or has—a candy
thermometer) and to , and to end up with “crystallized” fudge
through insufficient stirring.

As a result, “foolproof” recipes were developed for the home
cook that included corn syrup, which prevents crystallization
and produces smooth fudge. Later recipes substituted
sweetened condensed milk, marshmallow creme, or other
ingredients for the milk/cream that were better guarantees of
a perfect fudge texture. Of course, they didn’t guarantee the
same creamy taste as the original recipe, which is provided
below.
The Original Fudge Recipes



The “Original” Fudge Recipe

From Emelyn B. Hartridge of Vassar College:

* 2 cups granulated white sugar
* 1 cup cream
* 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
* 1 tablespoon butter

Combine sugar and cream and cook over moderate heat.
When this becomes very hot, add the chocolate. Stir
constantly. Cook until mixture reaches soft-ball stage (234°
-238°F). Remove from heat and add butter. Cool slightly, then
mix until fudge starts to thicken. Transfer to a buttered tin.
Cut into diamond-shaped pieces before fudge hardens
completely.

The Wellesley College Recipe

Wellesley added marshmallows:

* 2 cups granulated sugar
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate,
chopped
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 pound marshmallows

Combine sugar and cream and cook over moderate heat.
When this becomes very hot, add the chocolate. Stir
constantly. Cook until mixture reaches soft-ball stage (234°
-238°F). Remove from heat and add butter and
marshmallows. Mix until fudge starts to thicken. Transfer to a
buttered tin. Cut into squares before fudge hardens
completely.
Gourmet Marshmallows
Marshmallows from Recchiuti.com.

The Smith College Recipe

Here the ingredients get elaborate, incorporating brown
sugar (as does penuche, brown sugar fudge) and molasses:

* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup molasses
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate,
chopped
* 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, molasses and heavy
cream and cook over moderate heat. When this starts to boil,
add the chocolate. Stir constantly. Cook until mixture reaches
soft-ball stage (234°-238°F). Remove from heat and add the
vanilla. Cool slightly, then mix until fudge starts to thicken.
Transfer to a buttered pan. Cut into squares before fudge
hardens completely.
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar. Photo by Matteo Pescarin | Sxc.

Fudge Tips

* Use a wooden spoon for stirring.
* Never put a candy thermometer directly into the boiling
mixture. First heat it in water brought slowly to boiling; when
it registers 212°F, move it into the saucepan with the hot
candy mixture until it reaches the desired temperature.
Similarly, place it back it the hot water and allow it to cool
down gradually.
Fudge Yourself