Fudge is a type of confectionery, usually extremely rich and often flavored with chocolate. It is made by boiling sugar in milk to the soft-ball stage, and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency.
Fudge was invented in the United States more than 100 years ago. The exact origin is disputed, but most stories claim that the first batch of fudge resulted from a bungled batch of caramels made on February 14, 1886—hence the name "fudge."
One of the first documentations of fudge is found in a letter written by Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a student at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She wrote that her schoolmate's cousin made fudge in Baltimore in 1886 and sold it for 40 cents a pound. Miss Hartridge got hold of the fudge recipe, and in 1888, made 30 pounds of this delicious fudge for the Vassar Senior Auction. Word spread of this great confection to other women's colleges. (Wellesley and Smith have their own versions of this fudge recipe.)
Fudge can be plain and perfectly smooth or it may contain other ingredients such as nuts, chocolate chips, candied or dried fruit, etc. It may be cooked or uncooked, but both styles must be allowed to set before cutting.
Fudge in the U.S. is nearly synonymous with chocolate.
Other non-chocolate flavors of fudge are sold in the U.S., especially peanut butter, but these are designated by their flavor while the plain word, fudge, is understood to refer to chocolate flavored fudge.
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