What makes our fudge so creamy? The best ingredients, and even the weather...

<p>What makes our <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/toffee-fudge-liquorice/asda-extra-special-handmade-clotted-cream-fudge/1000107572007?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_meet-the-tastemakers-fudge&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Extra Special fudge</a> so sublime? For Russell Blair and Jessica Smithson, it’s scientific precision, time-honoured techniques and tonnes of West Country clotted cream.</p>
<p>Russell and Jessica continually judge the handmade treat, which uses the most clotted cream of all the fudge  The Serious Sweet Company makes.</p>
<p>‘These flavours are so evocative, and often linked to our happiest memories’</p>
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<p>When the fudge starts to set, thousands of little white stars appear on its surface,’ says Russell Blair, Chief Cook at The Serious Sweet Company. ‘It goes from a deep bronze colour to a night sky effect – it’s absolutely beautiful.’ And it’s also a sign of a good job well done: ‘I can relax then,’ he confesses, ‘it means that all the ingredients are working, and that the crystallisation process has begun…’</p>
<p>When you open a box of Asda Extra Special Handmade Clotted Cream Fudge and pop one  of those sweet, crumbly, melty nuggets into your mouth, you probably won’t be thinking about the science behind your sweets. With rich butter, smooth golden syrup and a generous swirling of West Country clotted cream, each bite is irresistibly decadent – but for Russell and  his expert team, the art of making fudge is also  a finely honed chemistry.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Russell’s job is to oversee the creation of this Extra Special treat, ‘From preparing those premium raw ingredients, to the cooking, setting and cutting’. The factory is in Harrogate, but Russell’s Scottish lilt reveals his Ayrshire roots, and his keen eye for detail betrays a decades-long career perfecting his craft. ‘It’s my job to make  it all run like clockwork,’ he smiles.&nbsp;</p>
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<h2>Buttery, syrupy scent</h2>
<p>It’s a warm summer’s morning, and the North Yorkshire air is filled with sweetness; you could literally follow your nose all the way to the factory. And given the honeyed scent of golden syrup and cream once you step inside, it’s clear what’s on the production line today.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, the fudge-making process begins with a careful check of the day’s weather forecast to see what’s in store. ‘The atmospherics greatly impact the cooking conditions,’ explains Russell. ‘During winter, the air and ingredients are colder  – so the butter takes longer to melt and mix with the sugar. In January, we need a higher temperature and 22 minutes to cook, but when summer hits we reduce it to, say, 19 minutes. Even half a degree impacts the flavour, colour and quality of the fudge, so we tweak it every day.’</p>
<p>The cooking takes place in the ‘boiling room’, whose two gleaming steam pans each hold up  to 120kg of bubbling nectar at a time. On a single eight-hour shift, Russell’s team can create up  to 3,600kg of fudge, or 24,000 boxes. But despite this large scale, each step is meticulously judged and carried out by hand: from weighing the ingredients and adding them to the pans, to transferring the molten mixture into the ‘conditioning room’ to set.</p>
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<p>‘It’s a traditional batch production, which lets us keep a very close eye,’ says Jessica Smithson, Process Development Manager, who’s responsible for quality control. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the science of fudge. As each ingredient is placed in the pan, she explains how it contributes much more than just flavour: ‘Golden syrup makes a light and crumbly fudge, whereas if we used glucose it would be heavier and chewier,’ she says, ‘like the type you get in  a chocolate selection box. And of all the fudges  we make, this definitely has the most clotted cream: there’s 8kg in each batch, which creates  a gorgeous thick mixture. During cooking, you get a real sense of its richness; other fudges have a milky texture, but this is like a luscious mousse.’ For Asda Extra Special Handmade Clotted Cream Fudge, the factory uses an incredible 1.5 tonnes of premium West Country dairy every year – around the same weight as a medium-sized car.</p>
<p>When the boiling is complete, the hot fudge is poured into copper pans to prevent it from cooking further – and then into large silicone paper-lined trays. The air is gloriously buttery and syrupy, but it’s also incredibly hot: the pans have reached around 124°C, and the extractor fans are hoovering up thick plumes of steam. By comparison, the conditioning room is cool and clear; here the fudge sets naturally, its constellation of star-like crystals growing until the entire tray is golden and glossy. After 48 hours, it’s taken for cutting, packing and dispatch – and then finally to your local Asda store.&nbsp;</p>
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<h2>Fond fudge memories</h2>
<p>The team already has its thoughts firmly on Christmas. ‘We started preparing for the festive rush back in May,’ explains Jessica, ‘and every month it ramps up even more – there’s a real buzz in the factory.’ Such is The Serious Sweet Company’s reputation for quality, that it exports premium products all over the world, as well as creating several other Asda Extra Special ranges – such as handmade fudges blended with Christmas pudding flavours, salted caramel and blonde cream liqueur.&nbsp;</p>
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<a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/toffee-fudge-liquorice/asda-extra-special-handmade-christmas-pudding-fudge/1000163301835?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_meet-the-tastemakers-fudge&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank"><img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/asdagroceries/5057172104017_T1"></a>
<h3><a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/toffee-fudge-liquorice/asda-extra-special-handmade-christmas-pudding-fudge/1000163301835?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_meet-the-tastemakers-fudge&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Asda Extra Special Handmade Christmas Pudding Fudge</a></h3>
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<a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/toffee-fudge-liquorice/asda-extra-special-blonde-cream-liqueur-fudge-150-g/1000383183989?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_meet-the-tastemakers-fudge&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank"><img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/asdagroceries/5063089106990_T1"></a>
<h3><a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/toffee-fudge-liquorice/asda-extra-special-blonde-cream-liqueur-fudge-150-g/1000383183989?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_meet-the-tastemakers-fudge&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Asda Extra Special Blonde Cream Liqueur Fudge</a></h3>
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<a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/toffee-fudge-liquorice/asda-extra-special-handmade-salted-caramel-fudge/1000107571935?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_meet-the-tastemakers-fudge&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank"><img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/asdagroceries/5057172087051_T1"></a>
<h3><a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/toffee-fudge-liquorice/asda-extra-special-handmade-salted-caramel-fudge/1000107571935?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_meet-the-tastemakers-fudge&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Asda Extra Special Handmade Salted Caramel Fudge</a></h3>
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<p>Is it still a treat, or can you have too much  of a good thing? ‘Oh, I’ll gladly tuck into more – though I’m very picky, mind. A smooth sweetness, combined with a crumbly texture… even after all these years, I still can’t resist.’</p>
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<h2>Feeling inspired by our Tastemakers story?</h2>
<p>Try using our <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/toffee-fudge-liquorice/asda-extra-special-handmade-clotted-cream-fudge/1000107572007?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_meet-the-tastemakers-fudge&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Asda Extra Special Handmade Fudge</a> in this irresistable <a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/espresso-fudge-semifreddo?recipe_id=8ef737bb-40f7-11ee-837d-f5023ed39cfd" target="_blank">espresso fudge semifreddo recipe</a>. A pud that's a cinch to put together, slices straight from the freezer, looks and tastes special enough to wow your guests... What more do you need?</p>
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<p><a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/espresso-fudge-semifreddo?recipe_id=8ef737bb-40f7-11ee-837d-f5023ed39cfd" target="_blank"><strong>Espresso Fudge Semifreddo</strong></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/espresso-fudge-semifreddo?recipe_id=8ef737bb-40f7-11ee-837d-f5023ed39cfd" target="_blank">View recipe</a></p>
<p><strong>Serves:</strong> 10</p>
<p><strong>Ready in:</strong> 20 min, plus overnight freezing</p>
<p><strong>Price per serving:</strong> £0.42</p>
<p><strong>Recipe info:</strong> Egg-free, Gluten-free, Vegetarian</p>
<p><strong>Faff-factor:</strong> 2 out of 5</p>
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<p>Why not try our semifreddo recipe, inspired by Russell and Jessica's production story, for yourself? Make sure to stock up on everything you need at <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_meet-the-tastemakers-fudge&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Asda</a> or pop into <a href="https://storelocator.asda.com/" target="_blank">your local store</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Fudge - Meet the Tastemakers

By Asda Good Living,2nd October 2023

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