Stomachs on legs are proud to present

I have a can of golden syrup in my cupboards which I have been wondering what to do with, so I looked in my trusty
Edmonds Cookbook and found a recipe for russian fudge.


Russian fudge is a quintessentially New Zealand candy. I remember I used to eat it when I was little at school. It's a bit of a sad story, in fact when I told Hock he almost cried. But anyway, there was a little girl at my school who used to bring russian fudge to school in order to make friends. She was a bit of a social outcast. The school I went to was a bit hoity toity - Titirangi Primary School - in the midst of West Coast leafy green native bush and replete with BMW driving mums, who were the wives of lawyers and architects, and thought the sun shined out of their children's behinds. Now I wasn't the most popular girl in school but there were two poor girls who were complete social rejects, one was a Maori girl and the other was a poor white girl with a Maori name. She always smelled like wees and maybe that's why no one wanted to be her friend. Except that is on the days when she would bring russian fudge to school and then everyone would want to be her friend. Her overflowing tuperware container full of russian fudge would cause a frenzy in the playground and boys and girls who normally shunned and teased her would crowd around her begging for a sugar fix.

Her popularity would last all of ten minutes as she handed out russian fudge slices to all those kids who sucked up to her the most. The next day she wouldn't have any friends again.

Yes kids are mean.

Maybe I will make some russian fudge and try and bribe someone to be my friend...no I don't smell like wees. Hock has decided its time for a russian fudge revival and is going to put russian fudge on his petits four menu

Russian Fudge

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups White Sugar
125 g butter
3 tablespoons Golden Syrup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
200 g sweetened condensed milk (half a standard tin)
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Method

Place all the ingredients except the vanilla, into a medium-heavy saucepan. Warm over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for about 15 — 20 minutes, until it reaches the soft ball stage (120°C).

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Beat (I use an electric mixer) until the fudge is creamy and thick and has lost its gloss. Pour into a greased 20 cm cake pan. Score the top and break into pieces when cold.

Makes: 36 pieces (i.e. friends)