• Use real butter to ensure the best flavour for the fudge.
• Use a medium-sized saucepan (20 to 23cm diameter is ideal) in which to cook the fudge. If the saucepan is too large the liquid will evaporate too quickly.
• Use a good-quality saucepan with a thick, heavy base and keep the temperature low. This will prevent the mixture from sticking to the base of the saucepan and burning.
• Be patient while the fudge is cooking: the low heat will cause it to cook more slowly and the mixture will reduce considerably.
• Stir the mixture once or twice with a wooden spoon to prevent it from sticking, but be very careful not to stir too much as this may cause the mixture to crystallise too soon.
• It is useful to have a sugar or candy thermometer as this will give you an accurate temperature to ensure that the fudge making is successful. If the mixture is not cooked sufficiently the fudge will not set properly and will be too soft. If it is cooked for too long it may be extremely hard and will set very quickly when you beat it.
• Don't beat the mixture for too long. Transfer it to the dish as soon as it thickens to prevent the mixture from setting before it is poured into the dish.

Variations

• To make nutty fudge, chop 100g pecan or pistachio nuts and press them on top of the fudge after you have poured it into the tin. Do this before the fudge has set.
• Use 3ml almond essence instead of vanilla extract for an almond-flavoured fudge.
• Top the fudge before it sets with 50ml chocolate chips, 50ml chopped marshmallows and 25ml chopped peanuts or pecans to make rocky road fudge.
• Stir 50g chopped mint chocolate or dark chocolate into the mixture just before beating to make chocolate fudge.
  

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  	Tips of the day
  	Crystallising The sugar crystals should be brushed off the sides of the pan and you can also brush the spoon after you have stirred the fudge. This will help to prevent the mixture from crystallising too soon.