Buttermilk Pecan Fudge

I wonder why I don't chase down fudge more often.  As far as sweetness goes, it's right down my alley.  It has a great mouth feel, comes in many flavors, and those tiny squares?  Well, they're just my size!  So why am I not making fudge...ever?

Back in my day, fudge was an occasional family treat at holiday time or purchased when my family vacationed in Ocean City, NJ.  Each summer, we couldn't wait to take ourselves and our little wallets to Morrow's Nut House on the Boardwalk.  After spending some good-ole-time searching for new flavors of saltwater taffy, chocolate confections, or macaroons, we often decided on all of the former with a side of fudge! I am extrapolating from this vintage data to explain why I don't regularly seek out fudge.  It's history was intermittent for me. However, you should know that I don't envision fudge as mainstream or ordinary.  It is nothing short of being stellar.

Okay, stories aside, I don't think I have ever made fudge...but if I have, it was back when glaciers blanketed the lower 48, and I would have made the no-cook kind.  You too?  Well, in this post, I branched out in many directions.  I cooked sugar to the soft-ball stage and went wild using buttermilk.  And let me tell you a thing or two...the results were so luscious, so incredibly captivating that I am almost embarrassed to tell you that I feel like I could fit quite well in confectionary school right now.

The essence of fudge: Sugar, butter, honey, buttermilk, kosher salt

This recipe comes from Bon Appetit and is easier to create than you might think.  The ingredients are few, and though it does take some time, it's not 'hovering' time.  You will be free to attend to other tasks that don't take you too far from your kitchen.

Notes:

1.  I do not own a clip-on candy thermometer (could this explain why I never made fudge?), but I own a thermometer that holds itself in the pan by the head (see pic below).  I would recommend purchasing a candy thermometer that hooks onto your pan so there are no accidental splashes, if you get my drift.  Remember this mixture gets very hot!
2.  I toasted my pecans in a skillet on the stovetop rather than using the oven.  It is summer, after all.
3.  I used whole pecans.  With a coarse chopping, the profile of the pecan in the cut fudge is stunning.  If you use smaller pecan pieces to begin with, know that the look will be somewhat different... either way is fine :)
3.  I wondered if I was doing something wrong in the heating of the sugar mixture to soft-ball stage.  The original recipe stated this would take 6-8 minutes.  In my kitchen that time was tripled!  After about 25 minutes the soft ball stage temperature (238º F) was reached.  Now you understand why you can do a few kitchen-y things along the way.
4.  Though I should have done some research before I began this candy-making adventure, I did not.  However, after the fudge was made (and sampled...yum...), I was curious about the science of cooking sugar.  I found some useful information here.

Buttermilk Pecan Fudge

1 cup whole pecans
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (I used salted), cut into pieces
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Flaky sea salt (don't skimp on this...it takes the fudge over the edge)

Directions

1.  Line your loaf pan with parchment paper.  The two longer sides should have parchment excess so it's easy to pull the cooled loaf out without breaking.
2.  Place your pecans in a small skillet and toast them until fragrant and just turning color, as below.  These took between 5-8 minutes.  Remove from burner and allow to cool.  Chop coarsely.

3.  Place the sugar, buttermilk, butter, honey, and kosher salt into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until everything is liquified, about 5 minutes or so.
4.  Clip the thermometer onto pan and, adjusting heat, bring ingredients to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally until the thermometer reaches soft-ball stage (238ºF on your thermometer).  This may take awhile...perhaps close to one-half hour.  The mixture will have changed to a golden color and smell of toffee.  Below, the thermometer registers around 200ºF.

5.  Remove mixture from heat, and immediately pour into the bowl of your electric mixer.
6.  With your mixer on medium-high speed, beat the fudge until cool and thickened, 5-8 minutes.  The two photos below show how the color, thickness, and shiny-ness changed over a few minutes.  The photo on the right is nearly done.  Notice it is stiff and matte.

7.  With a spatula, fold in the cooled pecan pieces.
8.  Scrape the fudge into the prepared pan.  Smooth the top with your fingers or a spatula.
9.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Let sit for at least an hour before lifting out of the pan and cutting.

10. Prepare to be dazzled and/or speechless.
12. Store tightly wrapped leftovers at room temperature or chilled.