Fudge Globs are One of My Favorite Recipes to Make
I’ve also heard these referred to as no-bake cookies. I grew up calling them globs and so shall they always be to me. They are quick, easy and delicious treats in a flash! Besides, they have oatmeal in them, which makes them healthy, right?
At one point I discovered that the recipe just wasn’t turning out like I remembered. It just so happens that when I made these all the time as a kid, I often forgot to set a timer so I usually cooked them much longer than the 2 minutes the recipe called for.
As an adult, I’m much more meticulous and was following the two minute cook time to the letter! Guess what? They needed to be cooked longer! Kid-me had more of a handle on these delicious blobs than adult-me.
In case you run into the same issue I have, here’s what is happening. I think it is also the reason store-bought globs are too sugary and seem gritty for me. When the ‘fudge’ is not cooked long enough the sugar crystallizes differently. The excess water prevents the sugar from forming a controlled number of small, fine crystals. Instead, the sucrose molecules form large, coarse crystals on their own. This gives a sugary, almost gritty texture to the globs.
In a Nutshell:
| If you UNDER-COOK fudge… | If you OVER-COOK fudge… |
|---|---|
| Too much water remains | Too much water evaporates |
| Result: Soft, sticky, gooey, and gritty | Result: Hard, crumbly, and dry (like hard candy) |
I’ve also run into the issue with overcooking the fudge causing the globs to crumble into glob chunks and dust. I still don’t use a candy thermometer, because this is just not the kind of recipe I tend to get that technical about. But I can tell you that the perfect amount of cooking is between 5 & 7 minutes because that’s about the amount of time required to reach the soft-ball stage. That’s the key here, if you want to be technical or if you’ve had issues getting what seems like a very simple recipe to work for you.
I love the science of why things happen and how they work. It means that when I feel silly for not being able to achieve ‘simple’ recipes, I know that there is a missing link somewhere in the chemistry. Once I understand the why, I can fix the how and voila!
Fudge Globs
Ingredients
- 1 c. sugar
- 1/4 + 2 T. c. cocoa
- 1/2 c. shortening
- 1/2 c. milk
- 1 t. salt
- 3 c. quick oats
- 1 1/2 t. vanilla
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine milk, shortening, cocoa, sugar and salt.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Boil for 5-7 minutes, until thick and glossy.
- Remove from heat and add oatmeal and vanilla.
- Mix to combine.
- Scoop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.
- Cool and enjoy!
Notes
- I have tried making this recipe with rolled oats and the texture is just not the same. Because the oats aren't really cooked through, they are much too tough to chew through for me. I recommend only making these with quick oats.
My Take on No Bake
This is also one of the recipes I’ve managed to make a short video of the process. So if you prefer to watch rather than read, here you go!
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