Microwave Condensed Milk Fudge

So, I got me a hankering for some fudge and after a quick google search came up with what looked like an easy and quick recipe and more importantly one I had all the ingredients for.

Ingredients:

• 125g butter/marge
• 2 cups caster sugar
• 1 tin condensed milk
• splash vanilla essence

Method:

• Before you get started, line a baking tin or tray with grease proof paper, this will help you to remove the fudge later without it sticking to your pan.
• Most importantly make sure that the microwavable dish you use is big, if you think your dish is big enough get a bigger one.  Trust me, its a bitch trying to clean sticky fudge batter that has boiled over off your microwave.
• Place butter and sugar into the bowl and give a small mix.
• Pour the condensed milk on top of the sugar and butter, dont mix.
• Add your splash of vanilla essence.
• Place the bowl in the centre of the microwave and set it for 10 minutes.
• Watching to make sure the mixture doesnt boil over, stop the microwave (without resetting your count down) after 1 minute has passed and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon.
• I used a wooden spoon to stir and then used a plastic spatula to scrape the mixture of the wooden spoon and back into the bowl.
• Place the bowl back in the microwave and let it cook for another minute.
• Stop the microwave and stir.
• Place the bowl back in the microwave and repeat above until the 10 minutes are up.
• I had to stop the countdown every 20 – 30 seconds after the 2nd minute because the mixture kept boiling up too high.
• Just keep an eye on your mixture and make sure it doesnt boil over.
• After the 10 minute count down is over spoon your mixture into your lined tin and refrigerate until set.
• Cut the cooled and set fudge into squares and enjoy!

*** I spread the fudge mixture too thin in the pan, next time I will use a smaller pan and make thicker fudge.  Also, use a bit of spray and cook on the bottom of the pan before putting in the wax paper, might make it a bit easier to remove from the pan.

Microwave Meringues

I found this recipe in an article on IOL about microwave cooking (I cant find the damn link now!)

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MAGIC MERINGUES

Makes 20-30

1 egg white

300g sifted icing sugar

food colouring (I didn’t add any colouring)

Break up the egg white with a fork, then stir in enough icing sugar to make a thick paste. Knead in some food colouring if desired.

Line your turntable with a paper towel (I used wax paper). Roll balls the size of a marble or bigger and place them well spaced onto the turntable. Cook on 100 percent power for 1 to 1½ minutes, depending on the size.

Watch in amazement as the balls puff out to make crisp meringues. Serve sandwiched with cream.

You can put only 3-4 balls in the microwave at a time.

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My first mistake was not making a paste… it was too runny and the meringues flattened as soon as I took them out.  So my suggestion is even if you follow the directions, 1 x egg white and 300gm icing sugar, if its not a paste add more icing sugar until it is 🙂

I could probably have made mine thicker but was a bit lazy.

I didnt roll them into balls but instead used a tea spoon and dropped about a third of a teaspoon of batter onto wax paper on a plate.  Make sure they are well spaced otherwise they smooch together.

I then put them in for 1min on high.

I was so totally amazed that they actually worked 🙂

The are pretty hollow inside, probably cause I didnt make them thick enough, but they taste great, Im going to arrange them on a serving platter and drizzle melted chocolate over the tops and take them to my MIL for breaking of the fast tonight! (Picture to follow, need to get the chocolate to melt over them)