Caramel Fudge

This recipe was given to me whilst I was caring for mum. I have made it a number of times with great success because of Mum's tips. She certainly enjoyed eating it with a cuppa. Since cutting into neat squares did not always occur, I found that it was good to use the left over pieces/crumbs as accompaniment to her ice-cream.

INGREDIENTS

125g Butter/Margarine

400g Tin of Skim Condensed Milk.

2 Tablespoons of Golden Syrup (or 3 if you prefer a darker caramel.)

 I Cup of Brown Sugar tightly packed
¾ Cup of Nestle White Melts.

METHOD

1. Grease a slice tin and then add foil to the base. Grease the foil also. Make sure that you have foil over the edges so that you can lift it out when it is cold.
2. Grease a large saucepan,  and then melt the butter.
3. Add in condensed milk, golden syrup and brown sugar.
4. Stir on LOW heat until BOILING. This takes 5-6 minutes.
5. SIMMER for 10 minutes stirring constantly. During this time, the mixture thickens, but still has a watery look about it around the edges even after 10 minutes of stirring constantly.
6. Remove from heat and add white melts.
7. Mix until smooth. This takes about 2-3 minutes and during this time the mixture becomes thicker and harder to stir.
8. Pour into tin and then cool. This takes at least 30 minutes.
9. Refrigerate when the Caramel fudge is cool.

NB: This recipe is made on gas stove and are timed accordingly.

MUM'S TIPS

• Before starting recipe, place tin of condensed milk into hot water to help it flow out of the tin easily.
• Measure out most of ingredients first except golden syrup before commencing making the slice. Have tablespoon ready to use for golden syrup.
• Place golden syrup in bowl of hot water so that it assists in easy flow before starting recipe.
• Grease the tin and also the foil/baking paper so that fudge will dislodge easily when cold. I prefer to use a cooking spray, but mum would have greased the tin and foil with butter.
• Time the 10 minutes accurately.  Stir consistently for these 10 minutes. Do not stop otherwise you will burn the fudge.
• Pour mixture evenly into the tin to assist with good presentation. Use the spatula to smooth out mixture. However, you need to do this quickly as it sets exactly as it is poured from the pot.  If  you are able to pour from one hand and smooth with knife with the other or else have another person with you for this step.
• Have a sink of hot water ready to place saucepan immediately after pouring mixture. ( we did not have a dishwasher machine).

My own variation: 

• Mum always used butter in her cooking, but with this recipe, margarine is just as successful. I have done it both ways and I prefer butter.
• Adding a small quantity of chopped nuts (eg slivered almonds or nuts of your choice) gives the caramel fudge an extra crunch.
• Halve the all the ingredient mixture and use a smaller pan.
• Say some prayers whilst stirring the mixture and/or  put on some music that lasts 20 minutes  before beginning recipe. It helps the stirring time to go quickly. Remember any stops in the stirring process cause the fudge to either burn or seize up and it will be ruined.   Do not stop stirring at any time in the whole process.

Chocolate Caramel Slice

CARAMEL SLICES

Mum loved to cook and it gave her great delight to see and eat us all enjoy the fruits of her labour.  Mum's chocolate caramel slices (referred to as caramel slices) are not for those on a diet. Mum gathered her recipes from many sources and this was found as a label to the tin of condensed milk as I cleaning the drawer recently. 

As a teenager, I was in an orchestra. Mum generously took it on herself to provide the orchestra each week with supper. Her chocolate caramel slices were one of many slices she provided.

My update on this recipe is to cut the slices into squares. They are still tasty and can be considered ''finger food''. It also provides those people who are more conscious of weight issues to enjoy them without the guilt afterwards since a small square is only a mouthful.

Base Ingredients

1 cup of Self Raising Flour sifted.

1 cup Brown Sugar.

I cup Coconut

125g Butter melted

Filling Ingredients

400g can Nestle Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Golden Syrup.

Topping Ingredients

150g Nestle Cooking Chocolate

20g Copha.

Base Method

1. Combine all base ingredients and mix well.
2. Press into a greased 28x 18cm lamington pan.
3. Bake at 180 degrees for 10 minutes.

Filling Method

1. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir over moderate heat until boiling.
2. Continue stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
3. Spread over base. Return to oven for a further 10 minutes.
4. Remove and cool.

Topping Method

1. Combine in the top a double saucepan.
2. Stir over gentle heat until melted. Spread over filling and refrigerate.
3. When set, cut into slices using a warm knife.

Mum's tips:

1. Always sift the flour.
2. Brown sugar should not be lumpy. Tightly pack it to make the desired measurement.
3. Place golden syrup into a cup of  very hot water before you start the recipe, especially if you are near the end of the container.  The golden syrup will run easier and  there will be no waste.
4. Have a bowl  or small pot handy with very hot water for the condensed milk to assist in the ease of getting it all from the tin.
5. Butter should be at room temperature before starting the recipe.

Toberlone Mousse

Toberlone Mousse is a simple recipe with only 4 ingredients. 

When making this recipe, she used to: 

• hide the Toberlone from us until she was ready to make it 
• brought the cream as fresh as possible.
• doubled or tripled this recipe so that there is enough for us all,
• made the second and third batches seperately.
• always cleaned her bowls before commencing the next batch ensuring that bowls and beaters were completely dry.
• allowed me to test the mixture and lick the bowl after the egg yolks had been beaten to create the smooth chocolate mixture.

Toblerone Mousse is a rich dessert which can be prepared the day before serving with or without decorations. In mum's kitchen, it was considered a special dessert for a birthday, special guests whom mum knew had a 'sweet tooth'  St Patrick's Day (17 March), St Joseph's Feast Day (19th March) or in Eastertide (50 days after Easter) once we had  recovered from eating Easter Sunday's easter eggs and her other Easter delights.  When we were having visitors, mum used to put this dessert in her crystal dessert dishes- 'the round ones darling without the stem'' she used to say to me as I opened the buffet to get them out.

Now that I make it myself to serve 4, it never seems to look enough or be quite as smooth and fluffy as yours used to be. I feel anxious as I seperate the eggs, smile to myself as I  lick the bowl to test the chocolate mixture  and when I eat the final product, I wish I had doubled the recipe. It is still yummy.

TOBLERONE MOUSSE. (Serves 4)

Ingredients

1. 100g block Toblerone Swiss Dark Chocolate roughly chopped.
2. 3 eggs, separated, egg whites whipped stiffly.
3. ½ cup cream, whipped.
4. Garnish with Strawberries for decoration.(or your choice of fruit or decoration)

Method:

1. Melt chocolate in a bowl over hot water. (see tip below)
2. Add egg yolks to chocolate and beat until smooth.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff- (Mum's tip: turn bowl upside down and mixture should not move)
4. In a seperate bowl, whip cream.
5. Fold egg whites and cream into chocolate mixture.
6. Pour into serving dishes. Refrigerate until set.
7. Decorate with extra whipped cream and strawberries.

 Tip: Mum used to melt the chocolate using a dish sitting on a pot of hot water.  This is the method I still prefer. However, an alternative method is to place chocolate in a flat dish in a single layer and microwave on Medium-Low for 4 minutes. Stir with fork after heating.