It’s amazing when two great classics collide. With this recipe you get the best of both worlds, rich buttery fudge combined with spiced fruits and orange zest for a nostalgic taste of Christmas. This makes a brilliant gift and stocking filler, or just tuck in yourself before it’s all gone!

Fudge is pretty easy to make but it’s really important to get the right temperature using your Thermapen to bring all the ingredients together and ensure the fudge sets. Do take care when making this as you are working with very hot sugar.

Temperatures

Check regularly using Thermapen and stirring more often after it reaches 100˚C. Continue to cook until the temperature reaches 114 – 116˚C. 

Ingredients

• 397g tin of condensed milk
• 150ml whole milk
• 115g butter
• 450g Demerara sugar
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 150g mixed dried fruit
• Zest of ½ orange
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes

Directions

• Line a 23x23cm tin with greaseproof paper and brush with a little oil.
• Melt the condensed milk, whole milk, butter, and sugar in a medium, high-sided saucepan over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
• Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides. Check regularly using your Thermapen and stirring more often after it reaches 100˚C. Turn down the heat if it begins to catch. Continue to cook until the temperature reaches 114 – 116˚C. The mixture should be dark golden brown in colour.

• Take the mixture off the heat and let it cool for around 5-10 minutes. 5. Beat in the vanilla, salt, ground allspice, mixed fruit, and orange zest with a wooden spoon, then continue beating until the fudge has thickened and lost its shine. The more you beat the fudge the crumblier it will be. Pour into the tin and leave to set.
• Take the mixture off the heat and let it cool for around 5-10 minutes. 5. Beat in the vanilla, salt, ground allspice, mixed fruit, and orange zest with a wooden spoon, then continue beating until the fudge has thickened and lost its shine. The more you beat the fudge the crumblier it will be. Pour into the tin and leave to set.
• Once it’s firmed up a little, after about an hour, slice into squares and leave to cool completely. Best kept refrigerated. If you’re looking to gift the fudge, wrap individually using parchment paper or pop a few pieces into a sweet bag.

Kenny Tutt

Masterchef Champion 2018

"Thermapens are crucial to my cooking both at home and at my restaurant, so I'm delighted to be working on some new recipes to showcase what they can really do."