Penuche!

If the title of this posting had been 'Cake', there would be no question as to what it is about. There are thousands of different types of cakes in the world today, each culture with its own specialties, many of which never reach America's shores. For the cake, we need icing and one might want to try something different topping it off with penuche frosting. That's one possibility for penuche. Let's add a little extra pizazz to the title: Penuche Fudge. The fudge part is definitely more familiar, especially since it’s an American original! It is a relatively recent invention dating to the late 1880s. While it may look like a simple confection, anyone who has tried to made fudge from 'scratch' knows it's tricky. Another known fact is there is Fudge of All Kinds - white fudge, chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, turtle fudge and brown sugar fudge, also known is penuche fudge. With the introduction out of the way, let's celebrate!

July 22 is...

National Penuche Fudge Day

 

What is penuche?

Penuche (Italian: panucci) is a fudge-like candy made from brown sugar, butter, and milk, using no flavorings except for vanilla. Penuche often has a tannish color, and is lighter than regular fudge. It is formed by the caramelization of brown sugar; thus, its flavor is said to be reminiscent of caramel. [en.wikipedia.org]

Penuche is popular in Mexico and many parts of the United States. While the original recipe for penuche is very basic, a few people use molasses or maple syrup to enhance the flavor. Toasted pecans, almonds or cashews may also be added for texture but with either addition, the confection becomes pecan/almond/cashew candies. 

History of Penuche

The penuche fudge recipe is a very simple fudge-like candy recipe and several versions are created in different cultures all over the world. Historically, the dish has been attributed to the New England area as well as some places in the Southern US but there are several variations of the dish in nearly every part of the world. Milk is usually boiled down to thick fudge and brown sugar is then added to it to create the distinctive butterscotch taste of the dish. The dish is very similar to Mexican Cajeta which is also a kind of sweetened thickened goat’s milk with the same dull brown color of penuche. There are also many Indian versions of the same dish using thickened milk called as peda or milk fudge burfi. The only difference between the different regional variations is the thickness of the eventual dish. Cajeta is liquidy and can be used a as a spread, while penuche is semi-soft like a fudge and pedas or milk burfis are stiffer, almost like cookies. But the basic ingredients, penuche fudge recipe and preparation process are the same. Dulcedu leche is another very popular version where condensed milk is thickened with hours of cooking resulting in a thick viscous paste. Different versions of this dish are very popular all over Latin America and France even though they are given different names.
[Source: ifood.TV]

Nothing left to say except to get to work and get it made! Then, just eat it! Of course, be sure to share:-)

Buttery Rich Penuche Fudge Recipe

For the penuche frosting,  melt 1/2 cup butter; stir in 1 cup brown sugar and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture pulls away from the sides and bottom of the pan, then boil for two minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup milk; heat to boiling and remove from heat. Stir in 2-1/4 cups confectioner’s sugar. Beat smooth with electric beaters. Spread quickly onto cake; the frosting will set immediately.

 Is your mouth watering yet?

  yum, yum, yum . . . yummy!