Why it works: Chocolate and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,020 recipes. Both carry sotolon, which smells curry, maple. The science ↓
Triple-chocolate Fudge
Ingredients
Directions
Make the fudge
In a 2 quart pan, stir together sugar, butter and evaporated milk.
Bring mixture to a boil over high heat on stove top, and cook until a candy thermometer registers 234°F.
Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until melted.
Stir in marshmallow cream and vanilla until smooth.
Set and serve
Pour fudge into a 9 inch square buttered baking dish.
Immediately sprinkle evenly with chopped candy bars.
Let cool for 2 hours.
Cut into small squares to serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 9 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Marshmallow | not in our table | 0 |
| Toffee | not in our table | 0 |
| Candy Bar | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Chocolate + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,020 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Sugar + evaporated milktop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together804 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sugar
- Provides sweetness and, when cooked, forms the crystal structure that sets the fudge.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a smooth, rich texture and mouthfeel.
- Evaporated milk
- Supplies milk solids and moisture that make the fudge creamy and smooth.
- Semisweet chocolate morsels
- Adds chocolate flavor and body to the fudge base.
- Bittersweet chocolate baking bars
- Adds deeper chocolate flavor and richness to the fudge.
- Marshmallow cream
- Adds sweetness and a soft, smooth texture that keeps the fudge tender.
The step that matters
Cook to 234°F. Sugar concentration depends on the final temperature. Stopping too early leaves the fudge soft and runny, while cooking too long makes it hard and grainy.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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