Buttermilk Fudge

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes From Lee Edwards Benning's cookbook, "Oh, Fudge!" She says this recipe is still her favorite: "It's gorgeous. It's absolutely gorgeous . . . smooth, creamy, butterscotch, with a hint of tang." It also lends itself to many variations --- for instance, in place of nuts and vanilla, add 1 cup golden raisins soaked overnight in 1/4 cup light rum and then drained. Using a 6-quart saucepan --- top third greased --- combine sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup and baking soda. Stir constantly with wooden spoon over low heat until sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil. Watch it carefully
the baking soda in this recipe will cause it to bubble up. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens. Because of acid in the buttermilk, the mixture will "ball" at a comparatively high temperature (236 to 242 degrees). Shock by placing saucepan in cold water, which should reach about halfway up saucepan. Add vanilla. When cool (about 140 degrees), stir gently but thoroughly until mixture candies. Then add nuts, if desired. (If you add the nuts when mixture is hot, they will get soggy.) Pour into a 9-by-9-inch pan, cool and score. Makes 1 to 1 1/4 pounds. Per ounce (without walnuts): 127 calories (percent of calories from fat, 33), less than 1 gram protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 5 grams fat, 13 milligrams cholesterol, 124 milligrams sodium.