Ultimate Fudge

Cupcake has been asking for ages and ages to make fudge, another one of the recipes from her book that she is working her way through. First, she measured out the ingredients, and we realised we had no sugar, then when we finally got the sugar, we had no time...

So, finally today we found the time. I had thought it would turn out like the fudge I had made in my youth. I was wrong. It is the scrummiest, buttery'est' (is that a word?), yummiest thing I have eaten in a while. Considering I just made a pecan pie the other day, that is saying something..

Here's the recipe..

450gr caster sugar
50gr unsalted butter
150ml milk
170g (6fl oz) can evaporated milk
2.5 ml (half a teaspoon) of vanilla extract

1.Grease your tin.
2.Heat the sugar, butter, milk in a saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon, until the sugar dissolves.
3.Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20 - 25 mins. CC did the first fifteen, and me the remaining ten.. she was getting bored...
4.Eventually the mixture should reach 116deg c. or 240deg f. on a sugar thermometer. At this point, I too was getting bored and whacked the heat up to try and reach the elusive 240 on the thermometer, I was at 220. Oops! then, suddently brown bits started to appear in the mix. It would seem I was heating it too quickly, so don't do that. I never did see 240 on the thermometer, but those brown bits did seem to disappear. I digress...
5.Take it off the heat and add the vanilla extract. Beat until the mixture is thick and pale in colour. Basically, you will know when it is ready as the mix really thickens and at this point it will be like liquid fudge.
6. Pour into the tin and leave to cool. It should look like this.

7. Once it is cool, cut into squares and y voila - Fudge! Perfect for a little gift, or if you've been for a nice long run today, settle down with a movie and scoff a load y'self!