Opera Fudge Recipes

OPERA FUDGE

Steps:

• Butter a rimmed baking sheet; set aside.
• Mix sugar and cream together in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a boil. Add butter, and cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Let cool 2 hours. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in vanilla. Using your hands, begin to pull and press the mixture. Keep pulling and kneading mixture until it lightens in color, loses its shine, and no longer sticks to your fingers, 15 to 45 minutes. Roll mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm and cold, about 10 minutes.
• In a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt chocolate and food paraffin, stirring until smooth and well combined. Using a toothpick, dip each ball into chocolate mixture, and return to baking sheet. Refrigerate until fudge is chilled and chocolate has set, about 30 minutes. Bring to room temperature before serving.

WHITE FUDGE (OPERA FUDGE)

Steps:

• Oil a jelly roll pan OR an 8 x 8 pan.
• Combine the sugar, cream and salt in a 3 quart heavy pot, stirring to blend well
• Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil.
• Cover and let boil for 2 or 3 minutes.
• Uncover and wash down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in cold water
• Continue to boil over medium heat, WITHOUT STIRRING, until the syrup reaches the soft ball stage (234F)
• Remove the pot to a cooling rack and let cool to lukewarm (110F) WITHOUT STIRRING.
• Add the vanilla, whip until creamy, then spread in the oiled pan.
• To keep it creamy, cover the top of the candy with a damp cloth or paper towel for at least 30 minutes.
• Uncover, let set until firm and cut into squares.
• Store in airtight container.

OPERA FUDGE

Steps:

• Butter sides of a heavy 2 quart saucepan.
• In it combine sugar milk cream corn syrup and salt.
• Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boiling.
• Cook to soft ball stage (236°F).
• Immediately remove from heat.
• Cook to lukewarm (110°F) without stirring.
• Add butter and vanilla.
• Beat vigorously until mixture becomes very thick and starts to lose its gloss.
• Quickly stir in cherries and pour into buttered shallow pan. Mark while warm; cut when firm.

GRAND OPERA FUDGE

Steps:

• In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, stir sugar, cream, corn syrup and salt. Stirring gently over medium heat, cook until sugar dissolves. Wash down sides of saucepan with a pastry brush, dipped in hot water and shaken, to remove sugar crystals. Place candy thermometer in mixture, being sure bulb is covered with syrup but not touching bottom of pan. Without stirring, cook until temperature reaches 238° to 240° * or soft ball stage Wash down thermometer if necessary. Remove from heat.Add butter and vanilla but do not stir in. Cool to 110° or until bottom of pan feels lukewarm. Stir until creamy and thickened. Knead by hand on a board or counter until smooth and cool.Use immediately as filling for molded candies or shape into 3/4 -inch balls, lightly cover and let stand overnight or until a crust forms before dipping * See altitude adjustments.Note: If you do not wish to dip them, the fudges can also be used plain as a filling for dates, or the balls can be immediately rolled in sugar and pressed into plastic molds. Two cups of the Chocolate Cream Fudge can be patted into a small pan and cut into squares. Store in airtight containers.

OPERA FUDGE

Steps:

• Butter an 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan. Butter a large heavy saucepan. Place half-and-half and corn syrup in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until syrup is warm stir in sugar and salt. Continue to stir until dissolved. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Remove lid and cook, without stirring, until temperature on candy thermometer is 240° to 242° F. or soft ball stage Remove from heat immediately and pour onto a marble slab or heatproof counter. Do not scrape saucepan as this could cause fudge to crystallize.Place butter and vanilla in center of hot mixture and cool for 15 minutes or until edges are cool and center is lukewarm. Use a wide spatula to stir and knead candy for 10 to 15 minutes or until it loses its gloss. Add nuts. Press fudge into pan. Cut into 1-inch squares.At high altitudes make temperature adjustments (see below).