If you’re like most cooks, you’ll
probably make a batch of home
made candy for gift giving or holi
day parties. And, if you leant to
use your microwave for candy
making, you’ll save precious
minutes during this busy time.
Microwaving candy means fas
ter cooking. It’s also much easier
and more convenient than stove
top cooking. There’s no need to
stir or watch candy constantly dur
ing cooking. Stir once to dissolve
the sugar after a few minutes of
cooking for roost old-fashioned
cooked candies. Watch closely for
the last minute or two to check for
doneness. However, you should
watch closely during cooking
when you try a new receipe, and
you’ll need to stir more often
when making caramels.
Your microwave is fast and
convenient for melting caramels
or chocolate, too. The most impor
tant thing to remember here is not
to microwave too long. The car
amels or chocolate won’t look
melted after a minute or so of
microwaving. Stop and stir them
and then alternate microwaving
and stirring until you can stir them
smooth. Towards the end, stir
more than microwave. For exam
ple, when you stir chocolate chips
and they are mostly melted but a
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few lumps of chocolate still
remain, it’s better to stir until they
smooth out, rather than micro
wave longer.
Clean-up with any kind of
microwave candy making is also
quick and convenient. After
you’re finished cooking the candy
or melting ingredients, fill the
cooking bowl with hot water and
cover with plastic wrap. (If you’ve
used a microwave candy ther
mometer, clip it on the bowl with
the tip in the water.) Microwave
on High until boiling. Then let it
stand, still covered, for a few
minutes while the steam melts the
candy. Wash in sudsy water and
you’re all set to make another
batch.
Cooking perfect candy in your
microwave is much like cooking
perfect candy on a conventional
range. It’s important to follow
directions and cook the candy to
the right doneness. Candy is
cooked to the same doneness in
the microwave as when it’s
cooked on the range. (Read a reli
able conventional cookbook to
brush up on candy-making bas
ics.)
In conventional candy making,
use of a candy thermometer is
important The old cold-water test
is an unreliable way to judge
doneness. In microwave candy
making, a special microwave can
dy thermometer is important for
convenience and the most accura
cy. (Look for one in hardware
stores and large supermarkets.) A
regular candy thermometer can’t
be left in candy during microwav
ing. A temperature probe doesn’t
register high enough for candy
making.
Start microwaving Peanut But
ter Chocolate Fudge and other
old-fashioned cooked candy in a
large enough deep bowl to prevent
boil-overs. Cover with plastic
wrap until the candy boils. The
tight cover holds in steam, which
washessugar crystals off the con
tainer sides and helps prevent sug
ary candy. (Leave top of micro
wave candy thermometer sticking
out of plastic wrap so thermome
ter stays cool enough to handle.)
After candy boils, stir well until
you see and hear that the sugar is
dissolved. Continue microwaving,
uncovered, until candy reaches
correct temperature. If the mixture
starts to boil over, quickly open
the door and switch to a lower
power setting. Closely watch car
amel, fudge and other candies that
contain milk or cream.
Usually no cooking time is
given in conventional candy
recipes. In microwave recipes
time is given, but don’t go by time
alone. Time simply is not accu
rate. Your microwave may cook
faster or slower, or your ingre
dients may be at a different start
ing temperature than those used
when testing the recipe. Candy is
done when it reaches the tempera
ture given in a recipe.
Both of today’s recipes are for
fudge. Peanut Butter Chocolate
Fudge is an example of a cooked
candy, while Snickers Fudge is
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more of what I call a "melt and
stir” candy. Both are very easy
and convenient to make. I hope
you enjoy making and tasting
these fudge recipes as much as I
do.
Peanut Butter
Chocolate Fudge
2 cups granulated sugar
'/j cup milk
A cup butter
'/j cup peanut butter
VA teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup miniature marshmallows
'/j cup chopped peanuts
(optional)
'A cup semi-sweet chocolate
chips
Combine sugar, milk and butter
in a microwavable deep 2'A - to
3-quart bowl or 2-quart measure.
Cover with plastic wrap. Micro
wave (High), covered, 4 minutes.
Stir well to dissolve sugar. Micro
wave (High), uncovered, 4 to 5
minutes. Start checking for done
ness after 4 minutes. Candy is
done when thermometer registers
235° F (soft ball stage). Immedi
ately stir in remaining ingredients.
Pour into buttered Bx4-inch loaf
dish. Cool. Cut into squares before
serving. Makes VA pounds.
Hint: For best flavor and cream
iness, allow this (and other
fudges) to “ripen” at least one
day before serving. To keep fudge
soft and creamy, store it uncut in
an airtight container in a cool
place, refrigerator or freezer.
Easy Snickers Fudge
'A cup butter
A cup unsweetened cocoa
'A cup firmly packed brown
sugar
V* cup milk
1 box (1 pound, 3 'A cups) pow
dered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
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24 caramels
1 tablespoon water
2 cups dry or regular roast pea
nuts (salt-free or salted)
Vi cup semi-sweet chocolate
chips
'/a cup milk chocolate chips
Prepare a 9x9-inch pan by cut
ting 2 sheets of waxed paper, each
9 inches long. Place sheets on top
of each other in pan. (Edges
should extend above pan on 2
sides.)
Melt butter in a microwavable
2-quart measure or casserole; gra
dually stir in cocoa, brown sugar
and milk. Microwave (High) 2 to
2'/a minutes or until at a rolling
boil, stirring once toward end of
cooking. Stir in powdered sugar
and vanilla; do not beat Pour into
prepared pan.
Place caramels and water in a
microwavable 1-quart bowl.
Microwave on Medium (50 per
cent power, 325-350 watts) 2 to
2'/> minutes. Stir until melted; stir
in peanuts and immediately pour
over fudge layer. Set aside.
Place chocolate chips in a
microwavable 2- to 4-cup measure
or bowl. Microwave on Medium
(50 percent power, 325-350 watts)
2to 2'/a minutes. Stir until melted.
Spread over caramel layer. Keep
refrigerated. Before serving,
loosen waxed paper from pan and
lift fudge out Cut into squares.
Makes 49 squares or 2 pounds.
Hint: If your microwave only
has High power (100 percent, 650
to 700 watts), use less time and
more stirring to melt caramels and
chocolate. Microwave on High for
1 minute; stir and then alternate
microwaving for 30 seconds and
stirring until caramel or chips are
completely melted after stirring.