Condensed milk and peanut fudge

This fudge takes me right back to my childhood. One of my maternal aunts would make it for us when we went to stay with my grandmother during school holidays. Back then, we called it 'peanut lolly' or 'condensed milk lolly'. It is such an easy recipe - I think i was still in primary school when my sister and I first made it ouselves. A word of warning - it is very, very moreish.

Ingredients

    • 1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk

    • 1/2 can raw sugar OR 1 can white sugar (use the empty condensed milk can to measure)

    • 1 tbsp butter + extra for greasing

    • 1 cup salted peanuts (add more or less to taste or leave it out altogether)

Method

    1. Grease a shallow tray or dish with butter. I use a 20 x 25 cm baking dish if I want thinner squares or a slightly smaller dish for thicker squares.

    2. Add the condensed milk, sugar and butter into a heavy bottomed pan. Place the pan over a low heat and stir until the sugar and butter dissolve.

    3. Bring to boil over a moderately low heat and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring continuously, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to ensure the mixture doesn't catch and burn.

    4. once the the mixture turns a golden caramel (about 115-118 degrees C), add the peanuts. Mix well and remove from heat.

    5. Pour the mixture into the greased tray and set aside to cool. Cut into squares when set.

Notes

    1. You don't have to be precise with the measurements or how long you cook it for. The important thing is to keep stirring it while it cooks as it very quickly starts to catch and burn.

  1. If you cook it to just setting point, you get a more gooy caramelly fudge. Coat it in chocolate and you end up with something that tastes very much like a Snickers chocolate bar. If you cook it until it thickens and just starts to come away from the sides, you get a more fudge-like texture.

condensed milk fudge