Instructions

1. Fill a small bowl with cold water and place it next to the stove. Line a 30cm x 20cm (12 x 8 inch) tin with parchment paper.
2. Place all of the ingredients, except the vanilla, into a very large heavy bottomed pot. The mixture will bubble up as it heats so it’s best to use a larger pot than you think is necessary. It will also be quicker to cook if there is more surface area for heating.
3. Put heat to medium high and stir ingredients constantly until it starts to boil. This can take 15-20 minutes or longer depending on the size of the pot. As soon as it starts boiling, lower heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring all the time, until it turns a golden caramel colour. Remove pot from heat and drop a bit into the cold water. It should be firm but squishy, this is known as “soft-ball” stage. If it’s too soft, return to heat and cook longer. It can take between 12-20 minutes to reach this stage. If using a candy thermometer, it will read between 110°C-115°C.
4. As soon as it is the right colour and texture, stir in the vanilla. The mixture may hiss a bit and bubble up slightly, this is normal.
5. Now beat mixture in the pot with an electric mixer for 5 minutes. At the end of beating, it should be the texture of smooth peanut butter. Quickly pour mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top out with a spatula or back of a large spoon. If you like, you can decorate the top with sprinkles, though you will need to gently press them into the fudge with the back of a spoon as the fudge mixture won’t be sticky.
6. Place fudge on a cooling rack and leave to cool for 1-2 hours. Once completely cooled, carefully remove fudge from the tin and use a sharp knife to cut into squares. You can get between 32 large and 64 smaller squares.
7. Remember, working with heated sugar can be dangerous, so be careful to never touch the mixture at any stage, always use a heat resistant spoon or spatula. To avoid mixture burning, you need to constantly mix, so set aside some time to make fudge when you can focus on it completely.
8. The easiest way to clean your pot after cooking is to fill it with enough water to come above any fudge mixture stuck to the sides, then bring pot of water to the boil. This should dissolve most of the fudge residue and save you from some scrubbing.
9. Fudge will keep well for 2-3 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. It will last for 4-6 weeks if stored in an airtight container in the fridge, but it’s best to leave to sit to room temperature before eating.