How does fudge work chemically?

What's special about fudge? Fudge is one of the rare exceptions to the rule that sugar crystals are not desirable in candy. Tiny microcrystals in fudge are what give it its firm texture. The crystals are small enough, however, that they don't feel grainy on your tongue, but smooth. read more

Once the fudge cools to ~110 F, now it's time to start stirring vigorously until the fudge gets thick. The stirring promotes seed crystals to form, which encourage other sugar molecules to stick ("crystallize") with them. This infographic is from Harold McGee's classic "On Food and Cooking". read more

Fudge can be made from just a few ingredients: sugar, butter, and milk or cream. However, despite the simplicity of ingredients, fudge has a reputation for being quite difficult to make. This is because the creamy texture of fudge depends on the perfect amount of sugar crystallization. read more