Penuche Fudge (Old-Fashioned Marble Slab Penuche)

January 20, 2025 by Lisia Childs
What is penuche fudge?

Penuche Fudge is on old-fashioned candy that’s essentially caramel which has been worked and kneaded until the sugars change into a fudge-like texture. You have the flavor of caramel with the silky smooth texture of marble slab fudge. The finished product is absolutely phenomenal.

It’s made from caramelized sugar, and I spell out the instructions below. If you want more information about that process click here to learn how to caramelize sugar.

How do you make Penuche Fudge on a Marble Slab?

There is an art to making Penuche Fudge on a marble slab, and I have worked hard to learn how to do it. My mother and Aunt Marilyn were critical to my success. It can be a tricky process, but once you learn what to look for, it’s pretty simple. I’ve spelled it all out so that I can always remember how to do it, and you can get it right the first time you try.

How do you make Penuche Fudge on a Marble Slab?
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Easy Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Penuche Fudge on a Marble Slab

How do you make Penuche Fudge on a Marble Slab?
Pour 1 ½ cups heavy cream into a heavy saucepan, and swirl up to coat the sides.
How do you make Penuche Fudge on a Marble Slab?
Add 3 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, and ¼ teaspoon salt, and stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
What is penuche?
Stir in 2 tablespoons light corn syrup.
Old-fashioned penuche fudge recipe
Then wash down sides of pan. You can do this with a pastry brush or a clean rag dipped in hot water. Get a clean spoon (or wash the one you’ve been using).
What is penuche?
As the mixture is cooking, and before it reaches 240 °F, caramelize the remaining ½ cup sugar as follows:
How do you Caramelize Sugar
Sprinkle the ½ cup sugar in the bottom of a heavy non-stick pan set over high heat. Shake it out so that it evenly covers the bottom, but don’t stir. Watch carefully.
How to Caramelize Sugar
The sugar will begin to melt and turn from clear to golden. Swirl the pan around, and use a clean spoon to drag the unmelted granules through the melted syrup.
How do you Caramelize Sugar?
AS soon as it is a deep amber color and completely melted, …
Old-fashioned penuche fudge recipe
… remove from heat, and carefully pour it into cream mixture, stirring carefully. Make sure that it is completely incorporated, and continue cooking over medium heat until it reaches 240 °F.
What is penuche?
Immediately pour onto marble slab (do NOT scrape the sides of the pan), and allow to cool for a few minutes.
How do you make Penuche Fudge on a Marble Slab?
cool enough to touch and handle, …
How do you make Penuche Fudge on a Marble Slab?
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
How do you make Penuche Fudge on a Marble Slab?
Beat and knead with a bench knife, wooden spoon, or your hands. To begin with, I use a bench knife to scrape it up and fold it over on itself. You need to keep the candy continually in motion to change to structure of the sugar. This process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, but the result is well worth it.
What is penuche?
When it’s set enough to hold together, I like to use my hands to pull, twist, and fold it like taffy.
Old-fashioned penuche fudge recipe
Another effective method is to use a bench knife or wooden spoon to stir the candy on the slab. You can see here, that the candy changed textures. THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR. As soon as it looses the stretch and shine, and the texture changes to that of a soft fudge, you are done.
How do you make Penuche Fudge on a Marble Slab?
Work in 1 cup chopped pecans, if desired, and …
best penuche recipe
shape into logs or squares.
What is penuche?
Wrap tightly with plastic, and store in refrigerator.

In my efforts to master the art of making penuche fudge the old-fashioned marble slab way, I had many failures. I won’t even document how many, but here’s a small sampling of what I learned from my mistakes. Hopefully, you can learn from them too, and not have to experience them for yourself. When I finally got it, the victory was so sweet (both literally and figuratively).

Penuche Fudge (Old-Fashioned Marble Slab Version)
What Went Right for Penuche
How do you make Penuche Fudge on a Marble Slab?
Cut into 1-inch squares.

Free Printable Recipe for Penuche Fudge (Old-Fashioned Marble Slab Version)

Old-fashioned penuche fudge recipe

Penuche Fudge (Old-Fashioned Marble Slab Version)

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • ½ cup caramelized sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped pecans optional, but highly recommended

Instructions
 

  • Pour cream into a heavy saucepan, and swirl up all sides. Add 3 cups sugar, butter, cream of tartar, and salt, and stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in corn syrup. Then wash down sides of pan and the spoon.
  • Before the mixture reaches 240 °F, Melt and caramelize the remaining ½ cup sugar over high heat, in a separate heavy pan. As soon as it becomes completely dissolved and caramel colored, remove from heat, and carefully pour it into cream mixture, stirring carefully to ensure that it is all incorporated. Cook over medium heat until it reaches 240 °F.
  • Pour onto marble slab (do NOT scrape the sides of the pan), and allow to cool enough to touch and handle. Add vanilla. Beat and knead with a bench knife, wooden spoon, or your hands until it loses its shine, and becomes the texture of smooth fudge. Work in chopped pecans, if desired, and shape into logs or squares. Wrap tightly with plastic.

Notes

Store in refrigerator
What is penuche?
ENJOY!