This recipe is huge and makes about 77 squares, so I usually just do a half batch.

Intro

You need to use your own instinct as to how long to cook the fudge. It can range from 10-20 minutes. Just make sure you have a bowl of cold water nearby. Drop small amounts of the molten fudge into the water and if it sets (known as soft ball stage) it’s ready. Or you can use a sugar thermometer, which will indicate ‘soft-ball stage’.

Ingredients

• 250g soft butter
• 1x 397g tin of condensed milk
• 175ml milk
• 2tbsp golden syrup
• 800g golden caster sugar
• 2tsp vanilla extract

Method

• Fill a small bowl or jug with ice cold water and put near the stove. Grease a tin of approx. 30 x 20cm / 12 x 8 inch or 25cm / 10 inch square, or use a throwaway foil tin.
• Put all the ingredients, apart from the vanilla, into a large, heavy bottomed pan and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
• Boil for 12-20 minutes, still stirring all the time, until the mixture is golden and, when a bit is dropped into the water, it turns solid but still squidgy, i.e., till soft-ball stage (see intro). How long this takes depends on how ferociously it bubbles as well as on the properties and dimensions of the pan. This is hot work!
• When the fudge is at soft-ball stage, very carefully remove the pan from the stove and stir in the vanilla.
• Preferably using an electric whisk beat for about five minutes, by which time the fudge will have thickened to the texture of stiff peanut butter – this is quite steamy and strenuous.
• Pour and push into the prepared tin. Smooth the top as well as you can.
• Put in the fridge to cool, but don’t keep it there for more than 2 hours, or it will set too hard, then remove and using a sharp knife, cut into squares.