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<h1>
<big>Chocolate Oatmeal Fudge</big>
</h1>
<p>
Chocolate fudge is great stuff, but why add oatmeal?
I always used to put shredded coconut into my fudge, but now
I'm trying to avoid fat and coconut is supposed to have especially bad
fat in it. Fudge without anything in it goes down too
fast. Coconut gives you something to chew on and makes the piece of fudge
last longer. So I was searching for something to put into my fudge to
make it last longer to get more enjoyment out of each piece.
Nuts are nice, but they have fat and they don't
have the same effect of making the piece last longer that coconut has.
</p>
<p>
Crisped Rice came to mind as a possibility, and I had tried it long
ago. It was a disaster. The crisp rice ended up soggy rice in the fudge.
Then I thought back to the early sixties when I was a kid and we drove to
Lake George Colorado to visit Aunt Abbey and Uncle Irving. Aunt Abbey
made chocolate oatmeal cookies that were a lot like fudge with oatmeal in
them. My family has ever since referred to Aunt Abbey's Cookies. I
don't have the actual recipe, so I decided to develope a recipe for
oatmeal fudge, and this it the result.
</p>
<p>
Since I'm trying to eat low fat, I used non-fat ingredients in the
recipe wherever I could. I expect that if you used cocoa with fat
in it as opposed to non-fat and regular evaporated milk that you wouldn't
notice a lot of difference in the final product. You might even consider
adding a tablespoon of butter with the vanilla if you feel daring.
</p>
<div id="Cooking"></div>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<h3>
<big>Cooking the Fudge</big>
</h3>
<br />
<br />
<p>
Cooking to the correct temperature, and thus the correct water content,
when making candy is important. Water content is controlled by the
temperature that you cook the syrup to, higher temperatures mean
less water in the sugar. Thermometers that measure to
five degrees Fahrenheit are not accurate enough, you
need one that is marked in two degree increments.
The pictures below show my new TruTemp®
Candy - Deep Fry thermometer made by Taylor. I got it at Target for
under $10. (I usually shop Wal-mart, but they don't carry a good candy
thermometer as far as I was able to determine.) I have two Taylor Candy
thermometers from 25 years ago or so that were about twenty dollars each
back then.
</p>
<p>
My initial impression of the new one was that it was not as well made as
older ones. The older ones have engraved markings that have been painted
in with black to make the engraving easier to read. The new ones just have
the calibration markings printed on the metal.
After using the new one for a while I now think it is at least as good as
the old one, plus it was a lot cheaper. The old ones seem to be calibrated
better from the factory though, as I don't recall the boiling water test
ever being off by more than one or two degrees F. The new one never
seems to vary more that one or two degrees either, but it's not from 212 F
where you would expect, it's from 215 or 216. The exact number doesn't
really matter though as long as you compensate for it when you are cooking
the syrup.
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<a id="imageTT1"></a>
<div id="TT1"></div>
<center><img src="TT1.JPG"/></center>
<p>
<h2>
Testing the thermometer in boiling water.
</h2>
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
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<p>
<h2>
Showing the 217 test value, 5 degrees above 212
</h2>
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<p>
A calibration table follows. It shows thermometer test values for the
boiling water test and also a temperature to add or subtract from the
temperature specified in the recipe. In the case of this recipe the
temperature is 231 degrees F. So for the test shown in the pictures
look at 217 in the table. The table shows that the correction is to
add 5 degrees. 231 plus 5 is 236, so the target reading on the
thermometer for cooking the syrup is 236 degrees. For other test
temperatures make the appropriate adjustment to the recipe temperature
from the table.
</p>
<a id="CalTable">
<mbp:pagebreak />
<h5>
Thermometer Temperature Correction Table
</h5>
<center>
<table>
<tr>
<th>Test Temp
<th>Subtract from Recipe Temp
</tr>
<tr>
<th>206
<th>6
</tr>
<tr>
<th>207
<th>5
</tr>
<tr>
<th>208
<th>4
</tr>
<tr>
<th>209
<th>3
</tr>
<tr>
<th>210
<th>2
</tr>
<tr>
<th>211
<th>1
</tr>
<tr>
<th>Test Temp
<th>Add To Recipe Temp
</tr>
<tr>
<th>213
<th>1
</tr>
<tr>
<th>214
<th>2
</tr>
<tr>
<th>215
<th>3
</tr>
<tr>
<th>216
<th>4
</tr>
<tr>
<th>217
<th>5
</tr>
<tr>
<th>218
<th>6
</tr>
</table>
</center>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<p>
Stir the syrup over medium heat to keep it from burning until it starts to
boil, then turn the heat to low and stop stirring. Once it's boiling put
the candy thermometer into the syrup and keep an eye on it to be sure it
doesn't boil over. I used 3 cups of sugar in this recipe to match the size
of the 3 quart copper bottom stainless steel sauce pan I cook it in.
There is enough syrup to cover the bulb on the thermometer so it gets a
valid reading, and there is not enough so that it boils over. Don't put the
thermometer into the syrup until it has started to boil.
</p>
<a id="imageOF1"></a>
<div id="OF1"></div>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<center><img src="OF1.JPG"/></center>
<p>
<h2>
This is right after the syrup started to boil and the thermometer
was put into the pan.
</h2>
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<p>
As the syrup boils it swells as the steam bubbles in it increase the
volume in the pan.
</p>
<a id="imageOF2"></a>
<div id="OF2"></div>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<center><img src="OF2.JPG"/></center>
<p>
<h2>
This shows the increased volume of the syrup as it moves
up the thermometer
from where it was when it first started to boil.
</h2>
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<p>
As the syrup approaches the final temperature the boiling rate slows
and the volume of the syrup goes down as there is less steam being
generated to keep it bubbling. The next picture shows the decreased
volume as the syrup is almost at the desired temperature of 231 F.
The thermometer is showing 235, one degree less than the desired
reading of 236 for a true reading of 231. The picture of the
thermometer test shows 217, 5 degrees above the 212 degree F boiling
point of water, so 5 degrees need to be added to the desired final
syrup temperature for the recipe to get the reading to aim for on
the thermometer.
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<a name="imageOF3"></a>
<div id="OF3"></div>
<center><img src="OF3.JPG"/></center>
<p>
<h2>
The syrup at nearly the final temperature. It has collapsed down
in volume to nearly what it was when it first started to boil.
</h2>
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<p>
The first couple times I worked on developing this recipe
I burned the syrup slightly
when I was cooking it as I didn't turn the heat low enough after it
started to boil. I have an electric stove, and now I cook it on 6 and
stir it occasionally to keep it from burning until it begins to boil.
Once it's boiling I turn it down to 2 and stop stirring. This is also
when I put the thermometer in it, until it starts to boil the thermometer
is just in the way when you're stirring and is not needed.
</p>
<p>
If you burn the syrup slightly it's not a problem. The burned stuff sticks
to the bottom of the pan, so as long as you don't scrape any of it off the
pan and mix it into the good non-burned syrup all you need to do is pour
the syrup out into another pan to cool when it's done cooking. I used a
frying pan to do this and got in the habit. I'm probably influenced by the
fact that it gives me two pans to enjoy with a spoon when I'm cleaning up
instead of just one. The frying pan also has more surface area so the
fudge will cool a little bit faster, but there is no real reason why you
can't add the oats into the pan you have cooked it in as long as you are
sure that you don't have anything burned onto the bottom of the pan.
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<a name="imageOF4"></a>
<div id="OF4"></div>
<center><img src="Of4.JPG"/></center>
<p>
<h2>
This shows the syrup in the frying pan, with the quick oats in a
measuring cup ready to be added to the syrup.
</h2>
</p>
<p>
Use quick oats, not
old fashioned oats. The quick oats absorb more water from the syrup
than old fashioned oats do. The syrup needs the correct amount
of water mixed with the sugar to harden correctly. If old fashioned
oats were used the syrup would need to be cooked to a slightly higher
temperature (meaning less water in the sugar) to get the fudge to
harden the same as cooking to 231 F with quick oats.
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<p>
Dump the quick oats onto the syrup.
</p>
<a name="imageOF5"></a>
<div id="OF5"></div>
<center><img src="OF5.JPG"/></center>
<p>
<h2>
When you pour the oats onto the syrup, they float on top.
</h2>
</p>
<p>
Stir the oats in carefully so you don't spill things out of the pan.
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<a id="imageOF6"></a>
<div id="OF6"></div>
<center><img src="OF6.JPG"/></center>
<p>
<h2>
All mixed together, oats and syrup.
</h2>
</p>
<p>
After the mixture has cooled down stir it until it starts to set.
The stirring is important as it starts the hardening process. Without
the stirring it will stay syrup, just get thicker and thicker. When it
starts to harden the surface won't be as glossy, and rubbed between the
fingers it feels less greasy. If you have worked the cooling syrup
enough the hardening process is relatively rapid. If you haven't worked
it evenly then the portions worked most will harden first.
The hardened areas
will gradually grow until all has hardened.
</p>
<p>
Once it has started to harden, scrape it into the final pan
to complete hardening. A very light coating of cooking oil
spray adds minimal fat to the fudge and makes removal from the pan easier.
The pan in the picture is 7 1/2 by 13 inches and is about the right size
for this recipe. I said to scrape it since when it starts to harden
it's too thick to pour. It ends up in a lump in the pan as in the next
picture and should be spread out into an even layer to finish hardening.
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<a id="imageOF7"></a>
<div id="OF7"></div>
<center><img src="OF7.JPG"/></center>
<p>
<h2>
The fudge in the final pan before being spread out.
</h2>
</p>
<p>
I recommend that you cut the pieces while it is still
not fully hardened. If you wait until it's fully hard
it's apt to break rather than cut where you want it cut.
Don't worry if the cuts seem to close backup when you make them
before hardening is complete, they will make the final cutting
come out a lot more even than if the initial cuts had not been made.
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<a id="imageOF8"></a>
<div id="OF8"></div>
<center><img src="OF8.JPG"/></center>
<p>
<h2>
The final product, hardening in the pan, ready to be cut into
pieces.
</h2>
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
<a id="recipe"></a>
<h1>
<big>CAUTION:</big>
</h1>
<h4>
<small>Hot syrup is sticky and can burn you.
<br />
Be Careful while cooking.
</small>
</h4>
<br />
<br />
<big>
<h3>
<big>Here's the Recipe:</big>
</h3>
<br />
<br />
<h5>
3 cups granulated sugar <br />
6 tablespoons cocoa (I use non-fat cocoa)
</h5>
<p>
Mix the cocoa well with the sugar before adding the liquids.
</p>
<br />
<h5>
8 ounces non-fat evaporated milk <br />
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
</h5>
<br />
<p>
cook to 231 degrees Fahrenheit (be sure to adjust the reading
on your thermometer to compensate for the boiling water
test result.) and remove from the heat, then add
</p>
<br />
<h5>
2 tablespoons Vanilla.
</h5>
<br />
<p>
Stir the Vanilla in, then add
</p>
<br />
<h5>
3 Cups quick oats.
</h5>
<br />
<p>
Stir the oats in and mix well, allow to cool to lukewarm
then work the syrup
by stirring until it begins to harden. Once it begins to harden transfer
it to the final pan right away as it can set up very fast once it starts.
</p>
<mbp:pagebreak />
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