Hi folks. This post is part of The Secret Recipe Club. Every month we get assigned another blog to make a dish from, then on a specified day we all post those recipes. It is a nice way to show some blogger love. You know me, I’m all about showing the love for fellow bloggers.
This month I was assigned the very talented and versatile The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch. I must tell you I LOVE the name of the blog. So adorable. Grumpy’s Honeybunch has tons of great recipes. I had so much trouble deciding what to make simply because I wanted to make them all. I decided on the Brown Sugar Fudge as I loved the story behind it. I tend to be drawn to sentimental posts. This was Shelby’s Nanny’s recipe. There’s even a picture of her Nanny on her about page. So sweet!
I knew it would prove to be a challenge as I have issues with fudge. I love it but it does not love me back. I have one fudge recipe I can make without issue. The rest just about do me in. I went with it anyway figuring it would be okay. Well Kim and fudge are a mixed bag of tricks. I did have some issues but totally my fault, nothing to do with the recipe itself. I think I had the heat a bit too high as the fudge was sticking to the bottom of the pot. I have a gas stove so it’s always an adjustment to get the heat just right. Next time I make it, and I will be making this one again, I’ll cook it a little lower. So my fudge is about half the size it should be. Luckily it was just sticking and not burnt so it did not affect the taste. I just did not want to scrape the bottom and ruin what was left that still was going to turn into fudge and make its way into mah bellah! So excuse the size and consistency of this one. I need to prefect my fudge making skills, so I guess I’ll have to make this until I get it right. Oh the sacrifices we food bloggers must make. It’s a rough life.
So if you want to see pretty, perfect fudge head over to Grumpy’s Honeybunch. Hers is way prettier and more perfect than mine. I encourage you to stay there awhile and click around. This lady knows her stuff. It was an honour to be assigned her and I am so glad I got the opportunity to make Nanny’s fudge. Thanks so much Shelby. It was a total pleasure poking around your site and I am happy I finally get to start commenting now that reveal day is here.
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Combine first 4 ingredients.
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Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
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Bring to a boil.
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Then reduce to a soft boil.
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Add butter. (DO NOT STIR!!!)
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Let the butter rest without stirring until candy thermometer reaches 110 degrees. Once it does remove the pot from the heat.
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Stir in vanilla and nuts.
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Beat until the fudge loses it's gloss.
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Pour into your pan.
I line my pan with parchment for these types of recipes. I cut the parchment to fit and leave an overhang so I can just pull it up and out. No sticking, easy cleanup. If you have trouble getting parchment to fit just right, wet it a little bit. Makes it more pliable and you can adjust it better.
Much thanks to Grumpy’s Honeybunch for this lovely recipe. It tastes like heaven to me. Even with my questionable fudge making skills and a sticky bottom this was beyond incredible. It is melt in your mouth good. Hope Nanny would be pleased with how it turned out.
Toodles and smoochies! xx
Susie Bee on Maui says
I think it looks pretty darn good! I had Shelby’s blog a month or so ago-it was hard to pick from all her recipes, so good job!
Kim Bee says
Thanks. We gobbled it up like we hadn’t eaten in weeks. I need to make another batch already. Isn’t her blog fab? I just fell in love with her. She is such a great cook and so genuine.
sara says
Yum, this fudge looks fantastic! Great SRC choice. 🙂
Kim Bee says
Thanks so much. It is so ridiculously good!
Cassie says
I am such a huge fan of brown sugar. Why have I never considered making brown sugar fudge? Yum!
Kim Bee says
I know right. Same here. I used to put it on toast for breakfast. So yummy! And fudge rules, this is killer fudge.
Suzi says
Yummy looking fudge. I see a bite missing, hmm who did that? Great post and the SRC sounds like fun.
Kim Bee says
Thanks. It was not me, not at all. *wipes crumbs before anyone notices*
Starr says
Yes, yes, and YES! This is going on my to-make list immediately! 🙂
Kim Bee says
Lol, it is definitely a winner. I loved it.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Brown sugar fudge?!? Wowser!! I want 😀
Kim Bee says
So good. I loved this stuff so much I already need bigger pants.
Alison says
I absolutely love fudge! This looks fabulous.
Kim Bee says
Thanks so much. I love fudge but it’s such a challenge to perfect it. I am determined though.
Jen @ Juanita's Cocina says
This would solve my problem with my extreme dislike of chocolate! YUM!!!!
Kim Bee says
Perfect for you. I have to post my peanut butter one. Do you like peanut butter?
Shelby says
🙂 I’m so happy you chose this! I think you are the 2nd person from SRC to have done so! Your fudge looks great to me and I’m not sure if I mentioned it in my post on this fudge, but I am pretty fudge challenged myself so so we have a bit in common (along with the sentimental heart tugs!). My Nanny was very much a part of my daily life growing up and as an adult. Although she has been gone for quite some time now there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her. I’m always happy when I see someone has made something that I have posted that was “hers”. Thank you!
Kim Bee says
Thanks Shelby. I did read that and am so glad I am not alone in my fudge foibles. It has taken me so long to get the point where I can make it consistently tasty. This was a big hit with my family and my brother who happened to stop by. I was really close to my Mom’s mom so I can relate. She taught me to make french fries and pizza. I have so many memories of her. So this just pulled at my heart. So glad you liked the post. And super happy I got to know you better while perusing your site. It’s been a pleasure.
susie says
Yum….where was this when I gave up chocolate? I have never had brown sugar fudge, I must try sometime!
Kim Bee says
It is really good. We all enjoyed the heck out of it.
Tiffany says
The last shot made me want to bite my computer screen! 😀
Kim Bee says
Lol, I love that shot too.
Happy When Not Hungry says
Wow! I love fudge and this looks absolutely amazing. I could def eat this entire batch 🙂
Kim Bee says
I had to fight people for the final pieces. It got Easter ugly here.
Kristen says
I am having such a hard time keeping up with my friends through this move. My mover is going to spiff up the blog so that by the end of the week, knock on wood, I will be in business. This guy is amazing.
SO. I love the fudge. I am seriously thinking of doing an entire series on fudge this summer when the temps are too high to bake. This looks delish!!
Kim Bee says
I am so excited to see the final project. I can’t wait to spiff mine up more. It’s just not me enough right now. No worries on visiting my dear. I know how much work redo’s are. Stop by when you can and no biggie when you can’t. Going to shoot you an email tomorrow. I am so behind on emails. Not enough hours in the day.
It is really good fudge. You should do videos lady. That would help so much to see how it’s suppose to look. I am better than I used to be with fudge making but still have lots of room for improvement.
Ann says
Kim – this looks terrific! I like the blog name, too! How clever!
Kim Bee says
Thanks Ann. It is such a cute name and she knows her stuff. I was having such a hard time narrowing down what I wanted to make.
Katrina says
Mmm, I’m sure I’d eat too much of that! Shelby is definitely one of the best! Nice post!
Kim Bee says
I definitely have a sore tummy. It’s so good. I am so impressed with Shelby’s blog. She is a class act and super talented.
kirstin says
YUM! We make a PB fudge with brown sugar..YUMMY!!
Kim Bee says
I love peanut butter fudge. My family goes nuts for that kind. My personal fave is chocolate.
Tessa says
This looks like my type of fudge as I usually go for the non-chocolate kinds. Great pick for SRC!
Kim Bee says
I tend to love the chocolate the best but I’m open to any and all fudge. It’s just so yummy!
Alyssa says
I’ve never made fudge but I’ve always wanted to. Great recipe!
Kim Bee says
You must try. If I can do it anyone can.
Jeff says
SOLD! As soon as I saw fudge, I was in love, and you seem to be a reputable fudge/sweets expert 😉 My Great Grandmother had a fudge recipe, but I haven’t built myself up to making it yet. We will have to see I suppose!
Kim Bee says
Aw thanks. I do have a thing for sweets. You must try it Jeff. If I can make fudge anyone can.
Emily @ Life on Food says
I have a love hate relationship with fudge too, so does my stomach. I am heading on over to here the story of Nanny. Great pick!
Kim Bee says
My tummy likes it but my thighs and butt disagree. I love recipes with heritage.
Ramona says
This looks absolutely delicious!! What a great fudge to appease those that don’t like chocolate. I would go for this in a heartbeat. 🙂
Kim Bee says
Thanks Ramona. I must post my peanut butter one. Have no idea why I haven’t yet.
Sandra's Easy Cooking says
As always you are making such a delicious treats…Great photos dear and awesome recipe! Have a wonderful day love!
Kim Bee says
Aw you are so sweet Sandra. Thanks so much. xx
Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef says
this sounds so inventive! love it 🙂
Kim Bee says
Thank you so much!
Kiri W. says
Ooooh, that looks like one great fudge 🙂
Kim Bee says
Super good. I ate A LOT!
Lesa @Edesia's Notebook says
Kudos to you for attempting fudge! I tried two different recipes this past winter and they were both complete failures, so I have pretty much given up on fudge. Yours looks great!
Kim Bee says
Lol that was me a couple years ago. Then my sis sent me her recipe and it was like light bulbs went off. I still am not consistent but I’m getting better. Thanks so much.
Cucina49 says
I struggle with making fudge too–but love the idea of brown sugar instead of white. So much more flavor!
Kim Bee says
This is wicked good. I already need to make more.
Carolyn says
That looks awesome, Kim! Wish I could have some.
Kim Bee says
I always feel bad when I post my sugary stuff. You are awesome for visiting when you can’t eat it. Love you!
Jo says
I’ve never tried brown sugar fudge before, it looks fantastic! And i have the same issue with my gas stove and cooking/burning fudge sometimes, I never seem to remember to keep the heat a little lower than I think I should!
Kim Bee says
Glad I am not the only one. I love my stove but it definitely takes some finesse. I have the dual fuel so the oven is electric and the top is gas. It’s pretty cool. You must try this one. So yummilicious!
Colleen, The Smart Cookie Cook says
This sounds so sinfully sweet! I get myself into major trouble when it comes to fudge. I just can’t stop eating!
Kim Bee says
Thanks. Me either, it’s been fudge city here. Never a good thing for the clothes.
[email protected] says
Love this. I have always liked Brown Sugar fudge almost as much as I love chocolate fudge. This looks yumptious! Yes, this too is now a word… cause I said so and I’m the older twin.
Kim Bee says
It was really good stuff. Surprisingly tasty and super sweet. I now need to make chocolate to compare. I love that word. Urban dictionary twin, if you post it there it’s automatically legit!
Fatima says
Oooh I am loving the consistency and texture of this Brown Sugar Fudge!
Kim Bee says
Thank you so much. It was so much fun to make, and more fun to eat.
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
Ohhhh gurrrrllll, this looks fab! Please send a box (or two…or ten) my way!
Kim Bee says
Lol, I may or may not have eaten it all. You can’t prove anything.
Charles says
I’ve done a few, ahem, experiments with fudge and toffee-making in the past… they’ve always turned out like little rocks with a less than desirable burnt sugar flavour. I think I really do need a sugar thermometer to be honest… would solve a lot of my problems!
My grandmother used to make fudge a lot when she was alive and it was absolutely delicious, so I know just how amazing home-made fudge can be, and it makes a wonderful gift for people too 🙂
It looks like you did a great job with “Grumpy’s Honeybunch”‘s recipe (love that name, lol) – lovely colour and texture 🙂
Kim Bee says
My Mom used to attempt to make fudge all the time. It was either rock hard or it would be like rubber. Then we’d tease her and try to bounce it off the walls. I could never make it until last year. My sis sent me her recipe and ever since I’ve had much more luck. But the thermometer is helpful. I use it more often than not.
I loved her name too. It’s so adorable.
Shumaila says
That looks delicious even if you say it did not turn out as you thought it would. I am sure I would have had a few of them in a sitting!
Kim Bee says
It was okay but not perfect. I love fudge so even if it’s so-so it’s still pretty darn good.
Margaret says
You had me at FUDGE!! And brown sugar! Wowza! Great choice.
Kim Bee says
Lol, it is so good. I love the taste of this one.
Erin @ Making Memories says
This looks wonderful! Very unique!
Trimble says
I’m making this now and have a few questions. Do you leave it on med the entire time if not, when do you change the temperature and to what? How long would you guess you beat in step 8 and did you just use a whisk? When do you remove it completely from the heat? Thanks!
Kim Bee says
Hello. Hopefully I got this in time. Sometimes I don’t check comments for a day or so but just happened to peek in. Okay I’ll try to help as best as I can.
As to the question about medium heat which is step 2, you will see step 3 says bring to a boil. That means you are raising the heat so to a medium high heat to get the fudge to boil. Not full on high or you will burn it. You want it to boil which means you want to say it bubbling.
Then step 4 tells you to bring it to a soft boil which basically means lower your heat back to a medium, maybe lower depending on your stove. Mine is gas and cooks quicker. But soft boil is you seeing tiny bubbles just around the edge closest to the pot instead of across the whole thing like a hard boil.
In step 6 it says to let the thermometer reach 100 degrees. At that point you would shut the heat off. I didn’t note it but will now since you’ve made me realize not everyone would automatically know that. Us bloggers sometimes forget that some folks need more details. So I apologize for confusing you and thanks for giving me a heads up about that. I’ll edit that into the recipe right now.
In step 8 you would stir with a wooden spoon which is my personal preference, but a good quality one, not a cheap one. You can also use any utensil that is strong. Fudge needs a good strong utensil to beat it with as it hardens. A whisk would snap like a twig I would think. Beating could take anywhere from about 5 to 10 minutes. However long it takes to lose the gloss and become sort of dull looking. It will seem like FOREVER as you beat it cuz your arm will get tired and you’ll think it’s never going to lose it’s shine. But it will and it’ll happen sort of quick and unexpected like. At that point hurry it into the pan to set up. Otherwise you’ll be serving fudge out of a pot. >beentheredonethat< I hope that helps. If you need any more help just let me know. Or shoot me an email. I'd say tweet me but I'm not on twitter much. Your more likely to catch me on facebook or email. Let me know if it turns out. And thanks for the heads up about needing to clarify the one step.
Trimble says
Thank you for clarifying all of that. I made some really yummy caramels tonight with your recipe because I didn’t do it correctly. It’s been a LONG time since I made fudge. Anyway, the caramels were great but I am looking forward to making fudge next time. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe that I’m sure will make great fudge!
Kim Bee says
Absolutely pleased to help. Wish I had gotten to you sooner so it would have been fudge. Shoot me an email any time you need help. I`m not a fudge expert but I`m surely getting better at it. I think the key is patience and a good candy thermometer. I have the thermometer but patience is something I struggle with. Glad it turned into something good even if it wasn`t what you intended. I think that`s what I love the most about cooking, you start on one path and veer off on another and it all works out perfectly. Happy Sunday!
Judy says
This is called Penuche Fudge to us New Englanders and it is my favorite type of fudge. If I am craving it I have to make it myself as I now live in Florida.
Mary S says
Penuche Fudge!! I haven’t had Penuche fudge since my father died — 14 years ago. He made the best. I need to try this recipe. He never had a written recipe, just threw everything in the pan. He measured, but, I never got it written down. I have been thinking about this off and on lately. I know this will be good! So now it will be on the Christmas dessert table. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Sue P says
I did something wrong. It’s been in the frig for a couple hours. It’s very soft like melted caramel. Anything I can do to fix it or is it too late. Don’t think I beat it long enough???
Kim Beaulieu says
Ah, that stinks. Fudge is a tricky thing. It took me till my 40’s to be able to master it. You likely did not beat it long enough, or heat it up enough. It’s likely not something you can save, but at this point I suppose you have nothing to lose. You could try to heat it back up but it’s unlikely to work. I’m almost wondering if you could melt it over a double boiler and turn it into a fudge sauce for ice cream though.
Holly says
I am making this for a party. Is it safe to keep in the freezer till the event? I wasn’t sure how it would thaw and how good it will taste.
Kim Beaulieu says
Hi Holly. Most fudge freezes really well. Just be sure to wrap and store the pieces really well. It takes a good couple of hours to defrost and can get a bit of moisture on it while it’s defrosting. Don’t panic! Once it’s at room temperature it will be fine. You can also store it in the fridge if you prefer. If the party is about a week away you can even store it at room temperature. Fudge stays fresh for quite some time.
Hope that helps. I’m hoping to make some myself this week to update the photos.