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Dessert

Marshmallow Fudge

A sweet confection made from sugar, milk, cocoa, butter, marshmallows, and vanilla.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
By Hamilton, Ohio. First Methodist Episcopal church. [from old catalog] · From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 4 ingredients
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Why it works: Milk and cocoa work together. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 643 recipes. Both carry methyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Marshmallow Fudge

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the fudge

  1. In a saucepan, combine 2 cups granulated sugar and a pinch of salt.

  2. Add 1 cup milk and 2 lb marshmallows.

  3. Stir in 3 tablespoons cocoa, vanilla to taste, and a lump of butter.

  4. Mix the sugar and cocoa, add the milk, butter and salt, and let it boil over a slow fire. Then add the marshmallows and cook until it forms a soft ball in water.

Finish and set

  1. Add the vanilla, remove from heat and let cool.

  2. Beat, pour onto buttered pans and cut into small squares.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

353Calories
9 gProtein
17 gFat
42 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Chocolate1 oz (28g) semisweet155
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By Hamilton, Ohio. First Methodist Episcopal church. [from old catalog]. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

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.

  1. Milk + cocoatop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together643 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  2. Sugar + milktop 18% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together77,875 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

  3. Sugar + cocoatop 27% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together956 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

Sugar and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 77,875 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

Granulated sugar
Provides sweetness and, when cooked, sets the fudge's firm yet tender texture.
Milk
Adds moisture and creaminess to the mixture as it cooks.
Cocoa
Gives the fudge its chocolate flavour and dark colour.
Marshmallows (in the method)
Melt into the mixture, adding sweetness and a soft, smooth body.

The step that matters

Cook until it forms a soft ball in water. The sugar concentration reached during boiling determines how the fudge sets. Stopping too early leaves it soft and runny, while cooking too long makes it hard and grainy.

Swap the cocoa

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, milk):

  1. Cocoathe original
  2. Almondfits about as well
  3. Chestnutfits about as well
  4. Peanutfits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, milk. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“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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