Vegan & GF Vanilla Fudge

I don't know about you, but I used to LOVE fudge. I don't know if it's the texture or just the sugar hit - maybe both, but I could eat it every day!

So, just before we went away for a few days, I decided to make my very own fudge. Now, this recipe isn't your standard - as it had to be dairy free. I made a small batch, and took it away with us, and it was so nice to have a little piece of homemade fudge now and then, whilst we were away.

It also went down very well with Mr Bakery Den - so much so, I've decided to share the recipe with all of you!

Now, for this recipe, you'll need a sugar thermometer. If you don't have one already, you can pick them up fairly cheaply from a supermarket, or Amazon. But it's well worth the effort, because once you've made it, you'll end up with a glorious batch of delicious vanilla fudge, just like the one below.

This recipe is quite versatile. I used golden caster sugar for this batch of fudge, but you can also use light brown sugar, if you want a slightly deeper sweet flavour.

Also, if you're feeling more adventurous, you don't have to stick to a vanilla flavour. It's so easy to add different flavours - why not try salted caramel, or mint chocolate. You can add nuts and other treats in to the fudge too, if you want to make it a bit more fun.

Ingredients

• 450g Golden caster sugar

• 250g Vegan cream (I used Oatly creamy oat)

• 150ml Unsweetened oat or soya milk

• 50g Vegan margarine (I used Pure)

• 1 tbsp Glucose syrup

• 1 tbsp Vanilla bean paste

Method

1. Line a 16 x 16cm baking tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Tip the sugar, oat cream, milk, margarine and glucose syrup in to a large, heavy based saucepan.

3. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar and melt the margarine, stirring occasionally.

Once all the sugar is dissolved, place the sugar thermometer in the pan, so that the bottom is submerged in the syrup. (I used a digital thermometer, which also worked very well).

4. Increase the heat to a steady boil, and make sure the syrup is continually bubbling (also known as a rolling boil), as this will ensure the temperature rises steadily. Stir occasionally, so that the mixture doesn't catch on the base of the saucepan.

5. Continue to monitor the rising temperature, until the mixture reaches 116ºC (this can take anywhere between 10-30 minutes, depending on how steadily your rolling boil increases in temperature). When it reaches this temperature, this is known as the soft ball stage.

6. Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to sit, without stirring until the temperature then drops to 110ºC. At this point, stir in the vanilla paste & a good pinch of salt.

7. If you're using a sugar thermometer, leave it in the saucepan, or, if you're like me and using a digital thermometer, keep monitoring the temperature. Begin to beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. Continue to do this until the temperature drops to 60ºC. It should at this stage have lost any shine and be quite thick.

8. Remove the thermometer and continue beating for a further two minutes. This will create the all important sugar crystals, giving the fudge a smooth, creamy texture.

9. At this point, pour the fudge into your prepared tin and smooth over the surface.

Leave to cool at room temperature overnight. And then eat (or s!

Holly @ TBD x