155 C H A P T E R 8 E X P E R I M E N T Procedure Day 1 1. Butter the sides of a 1½-quart saucepan. 2. Measure 75 mL of the liquid for the variation your group is assigned from the list below. Variation 1: water Variation 2: fat-free milk Variation 3: low-fat milk Variation 4: whole milk Variation 5: half-and-half Variation 6: whipping cream Combine the liquid, chocolate, and sugar in the saucepan. 3. Place a candy thermometer in the pan so the bulb does not touch the bottom or sides. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir only as needed to prevent sticking. The mixture should boil gently over the surface. Continue cooking to 112°C or the soft ball stage. 4. Immediately remove from heat, leaving the candy thermometer in the pan. 5. Cool without stirring until the mixture reaches 48°C. Add the vanilla. 6. Beat vigorously with an electric mixer until the fudge becomes thick and just loses its gloss. 7. Immediately spread the fudge in a buttered loaf pan. Day 2 1. Place a pinch of fudge on a microscope slide and add a drop of glycerin. Examine the sugar crystals under a microscope. 2. Note the differences in crystal size and shape. 3. Note any other substances that are visible under the microscope. 4. Taste a piece of each fudge variation and note the flavor, color, and texture. Questions 1. What relationship did you observe, if any, between the flavor of the fudge and the liquid used? 2. Was there a relationship between the color of the fudge and the liquid used? What did you observe? 3. Which, if any, variations have a texture other than the creamy texture typical of good fudge? 4. Which fudge had the largest sugar crystals? Which had the smallest sugar crystals? 5. Which variation made the best quality fudge?