When your last name is Fudge, it seems fitting that your entrepreneurial venture would see you making the sweet treat that’s popular throughout the year but especially at Christmas time.
Lynn and Craig Fudge of Clarenville, NL are owners of a home-based business, Fudge’s Fudge.
They’ve been making and selling fudge since February 2019.
“We always made fudge at Christmas for the kids. It was always the really sweet kind … about two years ago, I made a new recipe and it was so creamy and delicious, not sugary at all. Our family said we should sell it … so we did, and the business took off,” Lynn Fudge said.
People love fudge because it’s simple, she said, and often brings back childhood memories.
“It’s something they can try at home with family. Christmas is all about tradition, and I think people like to get back to the basics,” she said.
When it comes to the fudge-making process, Fudge suggests starting by using the best ingredients. Don’t go cheap, she said.
“Most homemade fudge uses basic ingredients - milk, butter, chocolate, and sugar. Then you add what you like the most .... nuts, fruits, flavours, or just plain chocolate.”
Fudge’s Fudge comes in over 20 flavours. It’s not the sugary taste of many other fudge varieties but is more like a dessert, Fudge said.
And, speaking of desserts, preparations are now underway for a Christmas rum cake fudge which, Fudge said, is “just like the cake your grandma used to make with spices, fruit, and rum.”
Fudge suggests an important aspect of making fudge is using a good thermometer.
“Find a recipe you like and stick to it,” she said.
Russian toffee family recipe
Thanks to St. John’s, NL resident Jennifer Whitfield (also known as the haggis lady) the couple now has a new candy recipe called Russian toffee.
In a video on Fudge’s Fudge Facebook page, Fudge and Whitfield sit down to talk about the 150-year-old recipe that Whitfield generously gifted to Lynn and Craig.
The recipe came from Whitfield’s mother’s first cousin in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1850s. The gent was a sweetie (candy) maker and, when he died, he left his recipe to his children, who carried on the tradition of making and selling the toffee.
Whitfield has trusted Lynn and Craig with the recipe.
“Once in a blue moon you meet some people and you click. You get to know them, and you find that they are hard-working, love what they do, and are honest and full of the joys of living. Those are the people you trust and, with something precious, you are willing to pass it on,” she said.
Fudge feels honoured to be gifted with the recipe.
“We’re excited to offer it to our customers along with our fudge,” she said.
Fudge made from spuds
Thanks to the late Canadian folk singer/songwriter, Stompin’ Tom Connors, most people know that Prince Edward Island is famous for its potatoes. What many folks may not know is that the spuds can also be used to make delicious fudge.
Tricia McLean Ettinger owns Oh Fudge! shop in Souris, P.E.I.
With about 25 fudge flavours to choose from, McLean Ettinger offers everything from chocolate cheesecake to lemon cranberry; from sea salted caramel to red velvet.
“People are intrigued when they come in and find out that the fudge is made from potato and, when they try it, they say it tastes like regular fudge … but it’s not gritty. It just melts in your mouth.”
Those watching the scales will be delighted to know that there are a lot fewer calories in the potato-based fudge compared to regular fudge varieties.
There’s enough sugar in the milk and chocolate to sweeten the fudge without adding extra sugar, she said.
“Our base is a potato puree and everything that goes into the fudge goes into the potato puree.”
McLean Ettinger comes from a long line of fudge makers. Her grandmother and great-grandmother made potato fudge for special occasions, she said. Many of her customers have similar memories.
“People come in and say that their grandmother used to make potato fudge but that they haven’t had it in years,” she said.
The support she has received - both from online orders and people visiting the shop - since opening 2019 has been amazing, she said.
“People are wanting to connect with the people who can’t come home. They are looking for local things to send them.”
Passed down through generations
For the Swinimer family, making fudge has been a big part of Christmas celebrations through the generations.
Rae (Swinimer) Sawler of Gold River, NS comes from a long line of chocolate lovers.
Her mother, Hilda Swinimer, started making the fudge and introduced her children to the tradition. Her mother used corn syrup in her recipe, Sawler said.
Sawler’s twin sister, the late Joan Nauss, put her own twist on the recipe. It’s this version that Sawler continues to use today.
Fudge is often a staple at family events, Sawler said, especially during the holidays.
“I usually make it at Christmas and give it away to people as a little treat,” the 88-year-old said.
Is there a tip to making great fudge?
Sawler said the important thing to remember is to leave the pot on heat for about seven minutes, stirring occasionally to boiling.
As well, she said, the milk used to make fudge must come from a can.
Like many veteran bakers, Sawler doesn’t measure all the ingredients that go into the pot. She does, however, measure the sugar and milk.
While her recipe calls for cocoa, it can be left out and the fudge will be a simple brown sugar fudge.
Swinimer family fudge recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups of white sugar
- 2 cups of brown sugar
- 1 cup of canned milk
- 2 1/2 tbsp of Cocoa
- 1/2 cup of butter
- A smidge of salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp of vanilla
Directions
Grease sides and bottom of nine-inch square pan and set aside.
Combine sugars, canned milk, cocoa, and salt in a good-sized pot.
Stir until most lumps are gone then place on med/high heat.
Add butter and stir until melted.
Leave on heat for about seven minutes, stirring occasionally to boiling.
Drop half a teaspoon of fudge into a cup of cold water. If you can make a ball with the fudge by rolling it with your finger, it’s done.
When fudge is ready, remove the pot from heat and place it in the sink of cold water to cool it down quicker.
Add vanilla and remove from the water, placing it on the countertop and stirring to ensure smoothness.
Add coconut, nuts or whatever other items you’d like.
Just before the fudge starts to set, pour into the prepared pan.
Let cool completely, cut into squares, and enjoy.
More online
Learn more about these fudge makers at facebook.com/newfoundlandfudge and ohfudgepei.com.
