Every Christmas our mother would make three different kinds of fudges. We would carefully wrap a selection in crackly difficult, transparent cellophane, then we gathered the corners together, with a red ribbon, tied in a bow. We made a number of little packages. A large number. Us kids would make tiny cards that we attached to the ribbons and then with baskets loaded with fudge we would walk along the beach and around the block giving out our Mothers little christmas gifts to all the neighbours she knew. She knew plenty. Everyone smiled at us. We were as popular as the florists delivery boy.
Of the three fudges that I remember making, I have the actual recipe for the Russian Fudge. This seems to have its origins in an old Scottish fudge called Tablet. Though that does not explain where the Russian came in. It is definitely one of the retro recipes. I have cruised the New Zealand sugary sites, comparing Mums recipe to others, and they are all almost exactly the same so I think if I look further I will find a 50’s version in New Zealand Woman’s Weekly or The Edmonds Cookbook something.
It is NOT HEALTHY! There is no way round it! It should come with a warning as it is so More-ish and so simple to make. 
Russian Fudge:
3 tablespoons of Golden Syrup. (I cannot find Golden Syrup out here on the plains, so I used sorghum/molasses which is close. But Golden Syrup is the NZ flavour. )
1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk
3 1/2 cups white sugar (told you it was bad for you)
4 oz (about 125 grams) butter
1/2 cup milk
pinch of salt
Heat all the ingredients to a gentle rolling boil, stir occassionally, after about 10 minutes drop a little into cold water, if it balls you are done. (or slowly heat up to 150C, though mine was ready before it got that hot) Take off the heat. Add 1 big tsp of vanilla. Now the important bit. Beat with a hand beater until it looks duller and is thicker. I beat it for at least 5 minutes. But it is cooling, so once you feel it change consistency and get thicker, quickly pour into a greased pie dish. Mark your little squares with a knife while it is soft.
When it is cool. About an hour for those of you who can’t wait! Cut into tiny blocks. Eat one tiny piece and give the rest away as fast as you can! This wee morsel just melts in your mouth!
For some extraordinary reason this is perfect with a wee dram of cognac. In the bad old days I often took a medicinal shot of good cognac just before I went on stage. It warms the vocal chords, I would tell my disapproving stage manager, as she gave me the five minute call.
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
115 responses to “Little Party nibbles: Mama’s Russian Fudge”
Fantastic! I shall be making fudge this year as part of the presents I give. Perhaps you should make it properly Russian and add some vodka?
Or have it with Vodka! c
Ah, this looks delicious!! The color and texture remind me of our family Christmas favorite, peanut butter fudge. My mother used to make a batch for each of us kids and send to us each Christmas after we had left home, even after we were married. The year that my mother died, a lady from the church we were attending at the time sent a batch to me…anonymously. It wasn’t until later that I found out who had sent it. I made for a very special memory that year.
That was so sweet of her, she must have known your mum well! c
Actually she had never met her. My job had taken me to a town 8 hours away from my parents.
Oh boy! I will try making this with my kiddos this month! I’ve only done fudge once before, thank you for the recipe 🙂
It is simple and perfect for making with children once you are past the hot hot stage, a good time to practice safety in the kitchen with them.. c
I have never made fudge. There. I said it…do you suppose a beginner can handle it?
I can still send you some of the Golden Syrup – just send me an email with an address!
this is certainly the beginners recipe. Mine was a success and i have not made it since I was a kid. c
OK, I will say it: I wish I lived in your neighborhood.
As much as the fudge was a gift, the even greater gift from your mother was the one given to you, her children. She showed you the meaning of giving as you wrapped the fudge in cellophane, tied the bows, attached the cards and then handed out the treat. What a beautiful, loving, giving mother.
We had a little assembly line. It being summer in NZ at christmas it was a very hot assembly line too!! c
What a great tradition and I love that you used sorghum.
It works too! good stuff.. c
I love that you said, “More-ish” – my Scottish grandmother used to say that!!!
really? huh. Those scots aye.. c
Mmm definitely more-ish.
We don’t really have fudge in Russia, per se, but in the 80s and early 90s there still used to be this thing called ‘sherbet’ (you can see a picture here http://easydessert.ru/vostochnye-sladosti/gotovim-shherbet.htm ) which came in two varieties, one nutty-fudgy, the other nutty-nougaty.
Thank you, I shall go and have a look, I love comparing foods from different countries.. and we are still no closer to knowing why this NZ Fudge adapted from a Scottish Fudge is called Russian fudge.. the plot thickens! c
Ihaha It’s so curious, isn’t it? I’m not sure that link is working, try this one: http://superelenka.ru/2011/10/18/sladost/
Yup That one worked, it is kind of like a loaf, how interesting.. Hmm.. c
Yes, looks like a loaf but the texture is very similar to fudge, maybe a bit more crumbly.
maybe one day you could translate it and make it for us so we can try it too! nougat is nice..good work tracking this down.. thank you c
fudge isn’t supposed to be healthy.. it’s supposed to be sinfully delicious :). I haven’t had fudge in a long time but I will definitely be saving this recipe 🙂
Absolutely right Kay.. sinfully delicious.. c
I love fudge, I love tablet, I have golden syrup. Nuff said!
ha ha ha .. Excellent! c
My mum is an epic burner of things. She came into cooking at 14, upon the death of her mother and under the tutelage of older sisters who each had three or four toddlers at home. It did not go well. I started cooking for Mum when I was 11, because I knew how much she hated cooking and I do tend not to burn things. Brown sugar fudge was one of those things I made for her. Slowly and carefully because hot sugar is such a fiddly thing, sometime after her December birthday but before Christmas eve. She would love this recipe, C. Thanks for the little trip down memory lane 🙂
Well done you.. interesting that my mother got sick when I was 14 as well and I took over the cooking, but I WAS the elder sister.. I am sure that you are teaching your own children and by extension your crew to cook as well, there are WAY too many people in the world now who do not know how to make even the simplest thing from scratch. Even a four year old should be able to make himself a sandwich or peel a carrot, or mash the spuds! I would love you to make this fudge for your Mum this year, especially after all the scraps she has been in. She is so like my Mum. .. c
This is interesting, I haven’t known it before. Thank you dear Cecilia, have a nice weekend, with my love, nia
I am sure you have some wonderful turkish sweets recipes.. ! love c
I can smell it when I look at your photo. Fudge was my first candy as a kid. We used to add walnuts to the recipe – probably in an attempt to pretend there was some nutrition! 😀
walnuts.. i might add some to the next batch for the young people. this batch is for the old people, who have teeth problems, they love the melt in your mouth bit.. c
I have so little resistance to fudge and its seductive powers. If I buy it, I’m often tearing into it before I’ve barely left the parking lot — if I haven’t already had a piece on my way to the car. (Oh, all right! I’ll have some on the way to the car AND again while driving home.). If I make it, I had better give it away ASAP or it will be gone in the blink of an eye. Your recipe sounds delicious. I’m in trouble here.
I would love you to try this one and maybe give some to Zia.. she might like some NZ fudge, to say thank you for all the wonderful recipes we make, that she and you have worked on. And John and I have eaten ! But you will have to drive all the way to Zia’s house with the fudge in the car.. hmm.. this could be a problem. c
The fudge would never make it to my car, let alone survive a 7 hour drive. I will, however, bring the ingredients, make it for her, and tell her it’s from you. She will love the fudge and be touched by your thoughtfulness. Thanks, Celi!
brilliant way to outsmart your lack of self control.. I was thinking last night how wonderful it would be for Zia to eat one of my old family recipes, I hope you can get some golden syrup! c
Oh geesh, you had to pull out the homemade fudge, didn’t you? I won’t show this to my mom…she LOVES fudge, so I’d probably have to make some. 😉 This would be a perfect little Christmas gift. x
Mum’s love fudge Caroline. I am having to make more tomorrow because the secret is OUT! c