This retro brown sugar fudge melts in your mouth.

My favorite fudge was penuche because the brown sugar agreed with my insatiable sweet tooth.

Every year, I begged to stop there to get a big piece of penuche to bring home.

Penuche on a plate, and in the background, a teacup and a bowl

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

What Is Penuche?

It is technically not fudge because of its brown sugar instead of white sugar.

Penuche relies almost entirely on brown sugar for its butterscotch, molasses flavor.

Penuche on a plate, and in the background, a teacup and a stack of plates

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

The History of Penuche

Penuche doesnt have a clear origin or history.

This form of sugar was easy to transport and kept well for long sea journeys.

And in the South, it would have been introduced through Latin America.

Serving of penuche on a small plate (one piece missing a bite), and in the background, a teacup with coffee and a plate with more penuche

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

It makes sense then that most problems arise from a temperature or stirring issue.

Heating the fudge past 240F will reduce the moisture content too much, also allowing large crystals to form.

After cooking, the fudge needs to cool before stirring and transferring to the mold.

Someone lifting a piece of penuche from a plate next to a teacup with coffee

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

The majority of recipes recommend waiting until the fudge has cooled to 110F before stirring.

The downside is that you may tire your arm from the increased mixing time.

But if you follow these tips, youll be rewarded with extra smooth and creamy penuche.

Brown sugar, whole milk, butter, and salt added to a pot for penuche recipe

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Toasted nuts, especially pecans or walnuts, add a crunchy complement to the butterscotch flavor.

Walnuts seem to be more popular here in New England, but pecans reign supreme in the South.

Storage

Store the sliced fudge in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Penuche boiling in a sauce pan over a stove

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

To prevent the pieces from sticking together, add a sheet of wax paper between layers in the container.

Freezing

you’ve got the option to also freeze penuche for up to 3 months.

Place the wrapped fudge in a freezer bag or an airtight container, then freeze.

Penuche boiling in a sauce pan with a candy thermometer (reading about 238F)

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Thaw the penuche in the refrigerator for about 3 hours before serving.

The downside is that youll need to stir the cooled fudge longer before pouring it into the pan.

If you live at elevation, candy-making is a little different.

Melty penuche mixture cooling down in a pot with thermometer reading around 130F

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Set the pan over medium-low heat and bring the sugar mixture to a boil.

It will take about 10 minutes for it to come to a boil.

Take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool to 130F.

Baking pan lined with parchment paper for penuche recipe

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

While the mixture cools, prepare the pan.

Lightly spray an 8x8-inch square pan with non-stick spray.

Line the bottom and two sides of the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy unmolding.

Cooled penuche mixture stirred using a wooden spoon

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Place the fudge in the refrigerator to set for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.

Cut the penuche into 36 pieces.

For clean slices, it can help to rinse the knife under hot water between slices.

Penuche after stirred in the sauce pan

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Store the penuche in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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Penuche mixture transfered to parchment paper-lined baking pan and flattened using a rubber spatula

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Penuche setting in the parchment paper-lined baking pan

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Penuche on a plate, and in the background, a teacup and a stack of plates

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm