Failproof Fudge
2 cups sugar
½ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
2 Tbsp Lyle’s Golden Syrup
4 Tbsp water
8 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Line a 7" shallow square pan with If You Care Unbleached Parchment Paper. Put the sugar, butter, Lyle’s Golden Syrup, water and condensed milk into a saucepan and stir over gentle heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil without stirring, then continue boiling until a temperature of 240°F is reached on a candy thermometer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the vanilla extract and beat the mixture with a wooden spoon or with an electric mixer until thick, grainy and cloudy.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and leave to cool. When cold, remove the fudge from the pan and cut into squares. Store for up to 2-3 weeks in an airtight container.
Variations
Cherry Fudge – stir in ¾ cup warmed, chopped glace cherries in place of the vanilla extract
Hazelnut Fudge – stir in ¾ cup shelled hazelnuts in place of the vanilla extract
Fruit Fudge – stir 1 cup warmed dried fruit before taking the pan off the heat