Fudge Ingredients 101 | The Basics of Making Fudge
Basics of Commercial Fudge Making
Getting into the fudge business doesn’t have to be complex or complicated. If you’re interested in an opportunity to be creative, make delicious treats, and earn attractive profit margins, you can benefit from making fudge. There are lots of reasons to sell fudge! One of the reasons is that it is relatively simple to make when you have the right products and processes in place. Let’s take a look at the basic fudge ingredients and fudge making equipment you’ll need.
Choosing Your Bulk Fudge Mix
Fudge mix is one of the most important ingredients to consider. Selecting the right bulk fudge mix means evaluating a number of factors, including flavor, texture, and ease of use. You’ll want to consider the flavor profiles available. Gold Medal’s Sweet Selections® Fudge Mix comes in three varieties: Chocolate, Vanilla, and Base. Made with specially screened cocoa powders, the Chocolate Fudge Mix is a classic, rich flavor that customers will love. The Vanilla Fudge Mix is a mouthwatering blend of brown sugar and vanilla flavors. Last, the Base Fudge Mix is the perfect canvas for creating your own signature fudge flavors.
Each batch is made by simply adding butter and water to the mix, making the process easier than other alternatives. Because it is a less time-consuming process, it streamlines production, and you can produce more fudge in a shorter amount of time. Plus, with fewer steps, it lessens the chance for error or discrepancies in preparation, meaning more consistent batches. Sweet Selections® is user-friendly and time-efficient without compromising quality.
Building Your Fudge Recipes
The secret ingredient behind the best fudge recipes is the flavorings! As you create your menu, you want to have a combination of traditional favorites as well as flavors unique to your shop. You may also want to have special seasonal recipes too. Imagine having a collection of fudge flavorings you can tap into and customize to make your own. Gold Medal offers this with our wide variety of concession products.
Explore creative fudge flavoring ideas and recipes below.
Signature Blends®
These sweet flavorings and color-only options enhance fudge with easy-to-follow recipes. For example, Birthday Cake Fudge uses the Birthday Cake Signature Blends and the Yellow Color-Only Signature Blends to create an eye-catching, bright, and flavorful fudge. These flavorings are simple to mix into the base recipe. There are over 30 flavors to choose from, including banana, toffee, pineapple coconut, salted caramel, and pumpkin spice.
Sno-Kone® Flavor Concentrate Syrups
The favorite flavors of this popular summertime treat can be used to create flavorful fudge recipes too! Choose from Sno-Kone classics like blue raspberry and cherry to tropical coconut, kid-friendly cotton candy, or any of the other fun flavors. (Explore flavors here.) Just add a few ounces to the recipe (adjusting the water amount accordingly) and you’ll be on your way to enjoying tasty treats like this Lime Fudge recipe!
Swirled Fudge Recipes
As a bonus think about giving your fudge a swirled appearance. Customers will love the look and taste! You can use two flavors like this Cherry Vanilla Swirl Fudge recipe. You simply make a batch of each flavor, then layer each, and follow the how-to video instructions to create the winged pattern. Other swirled fudge recipes in our library include: Chocolate Whiskey Swirl Fudge and Mint Chocolate Swirl Fudge.
Other Fudge Flavorings
You may be surprised by how different ingredients can be used in fudge. If you’re making other fun foods, many products can serve double duty as fudge flavorings. Midway’s Finest Caramel, traditionally used for caramel apples, can be melted and used to make a layer in the Candy Bar Fudge recipe. Even popcorn seasoning, like Ghost Pepper Flavacol®, can be used in this recipe for Spicy Aztec Chocolate Fudge. And Apple Cider Frusheez® Mix is used in our Apple Pie Fudge.
Fudge Mix-Ins and Toppings
Enrich the texture of your fudge with tasty mix-ins! Nuts are probably the most well-known way to add crunch to fudge recipes. (Try our Maple Walnut Fudge Recipe.) Other ideas include cookie crumbles for a Cookies and Cream Fudge, crushed peppermint candy canes in Candy Cane Fudge, or gummy worms to top a Dirt Fudge.
How to Choose a Commercial Fudge Machine
Choosing the right fudge making equipment is essential for ensuring consistent, high-quality results. Assess your needs in key areas like production volume, workspace, and user-friendliness. While cost is a consideration, it is important to realize that a true turnkey solution will deliver a quality product and efficient process. Your equipment needs to support ongoing business growth. Also, research the manufacturer’s reputation, so you can trust you have a partner that will be reliable.
Gold Medal’s Sweet Selections Fudge Mixer is a state-of-the-art machine ideal for professional fudge businesses. In terms of production, the machine is equipped to use seven pounds of dry fudge mix (one bag) per batch. With this capacity, operators can easily produce a high volume of product. The footprint of the fudge mixer is compact, so it fits comfortably in the workspace. It can be mounted to a counter, base, or truck, for ease of use. So, you can choose what setup works best for your space. Digital controls make it intuitive and user friendly. And as UL Sanitation Approved/NSF Certified, it gives you peace of mind. Plus, it has an easy-to-follow steam cleaning process. This machine is well-equipped to optimize your production and deliver exceptional fudge, batch after batch.
Set Your Fudge Business Up For Success
The greatest fudge can only come by first mastering the basics. Then you build upon those initial skills and grow and develop your own exclusive recipes. Having the right supplies, equipment, and supplier will set you up for success! Reach out to a Gold Medal distributor in your area who can help you pave the way for an amazing commercial fudge business.
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