Penuche. Fun word to say, yes? And, delicious to eat, too! What is penuche, you wonder? Well, you may know it as brown sugar candy or brown sugar fudge. Actually, it is my favorite candy, next to pralines, to which it is very similar. The recipe is easy peasy, made with ingredients you likely have in the pantry and refrigerator. You don't have to have a candy thermometer, but it is quite helpful when trying to decide if you've reached the critical soft ball stage.
I tried a slightly different recipe last night. My tried and true recipe is in one of my Louisiana cookbooks, and it has gone missing. So, the search began, and I settled upon this recipe because it seemed similar. I did make a change, as I noted in the ingredients, but all in all, this is some delicious fudge! The taste is amazing, and as usual, I went overboad with the nuts, because, well, we like nuts. They are optional, though, so leave the out if you are not a fan.
Penuche- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup half and half
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups powdered sugar (I used 1 cup)
- 1-2 cups toasted and chopped pecans (walnuts, peanuts, etc)
Directions
Butter an 8x8 (thick) or 7x11(thin) inch pan; line with parchment paper for easy removal.
Toast pecans for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven; coarsely chop and set aside.
Toast pecans for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven; coarsely chop and set aside.
Combine butter, brown sugar, half-n-half, and salt in a saucepan.
Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until mixture comes to a boil.
Insert candy thermometer, and continue to stir occasionally, cooking until soft ball stage (240 degrees).
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
Pour into a metal bowl (plastic will melt) and add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, beating with an electric mixer, until mixture reaches a thick, fudge-like consistency; stir in nuts.
Pour (scrape) into prepared pan.
If necessary, wet hands to pat mixture into pan.
Allow to cool completely before cutting into pieces.
Linking today's post to the following terrific blogs!
Gallery of Favorites
These Chicks Cooked
Cast Party Wednesday
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Let's Do Brunch
Made From Scratch Tuesday
What's Cooking Wednesday
Wow Me Wednesday
Taking a Time Out
Crafty Lassie Tuesday
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday
These Chicks Cooked
Cast Party Wednesday
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Let's Do Brunch
Made From Scratch Tuesday
What's Cooking Wednesday
Wow Me Wednesday
Taking a Time Out
Crafty Lassie Tuesday
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday
Blogger Tips - Get This Gadget
Posts
Yum! This and maple fudge are my favorites!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorites! Yours look incredible wih all those nuts! Makes me DROOL!
ReplyDeleteThey are very similar - love them all!
ReplyDelete________________________________
Thanks, Laurie! I always go to the extreme with nuts :)
ReplyDelete________________________________
When I saw the picture I immediately thought these looked just like a praline! I love the flavor of pralines but don't like how they can be kind of hard (ok, if they're homemade they're usually not as hard as the store-bought kind). I LOVE these flavor combinations--drool!
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered what penuche is. Now I know that I NEED to make it! Thanks for the recipe. I'm your newest follower. :)
ReplyDeleteI'd love for you to join my linky party (Crazy Sweet Tuesday) sometime. The linky is open through Friday.
Thanks so much, Brenda! These taste so much like pralines, yet they are much easier to make - just pour, cool, and slice!
ReplyDelete________________________________
I've never tried penuche before. It sounds amazing. I'll have to give it a try this holiday season.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of Penuche until this post but wow would I like to try a bite! It looks like a pure indulgence.
ReplyDeletePure indulgence is a terrific description! Many thanks for visiting my kitchen! xx-Louanne
ReplyDelete________________________________
Really yummy and totally addictive! Thanks for visiting my kitchen! xx-Louanne
ReplyDelete________________________________
Oh Yum! This fudge looks divine Louanne. I can't wait to make some.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rhondi! It was so good!
ReplyDeleteOmg,
ReplyDeleteWhat a decadently rich fudge! This would be a perfect little sweet for a stocking stuffer!
Thank you! It really is deliciously rich fudge!
ReplyDeletexo
Louanne
Visit me online: Louanne's Kitchen
Follow me on Twitter: @LouannesKitchen
Your Penuche sounds like such a treat! It would make such a lovely holiday gift as well. Thank you for sharing it with The Gallery of Favorites and Let's Do Brunch.
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing! I am pinning this because penuche is something I've always wanted to make. Thanks for sharing at Taking A Timeout Thursday! Hope to see you again this week!
ReplyDeleteI made this and talked about it on my blog.. thanks for the great recipe, I finally made fudge successfully :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.frugalfrolic.com/2011/12/recipe-tablet-aka-penuche-aka-brown.html
I am so happy you liked the fudge! Thanks so much for the link back, too! Merry Christmas, Louanne
ReplyDelete