Krówki (Polish milk fudge)
Milk and butter caramels, crumbly outside and soft and creamy within
Krówki, 'little cows', are the sweets Polish children grow up with: wrapped in paper with a cow on it, handed out at name days and school parties, and bought by the bag all year round. Fresh ones have a thin, sugary crust that crumbles at the edges while the middle stays soft and almost runny, with a deep taste of cooked milk and butter, close to dulce de leche. Eat them with black tea or coffee, or chop them into ice cream. They are naturally egg-free: milk and cream are boiled with sugar until the milk solids caramelise and the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage, then beating it as it cools starts fine sugar crystals that set the fudge and give that crumbly crust. A spoonful of honey adds its own flavour and keeps the centre soft. Chef's tip: stop beating as soon as the mixture loses its shine and starts to thicken; beating too long is the common mistake, and the fudge then sets in the pan before you can pour it.
- Total time
- 175 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup double cream
- 16 oz granulated sugar
- 2 ⅛ oz unsalted butterplus a little for the tin
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Butter a 20 cm square tin and line it with baking paper.
Step 2: Put 1 cup whole milk, ¾ cup double cream, 16 oz granulated sugar, 2 ⅛ oz unsalted butter, 1 tbsp honey and 1 pinch salt in a heavy saucepan of at least 3 litres. Stir over a medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts.
8 minStep 3: Raise the heat to medium and bring to the boil. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom, as the milk thickens and slowly turns from cream to light caramel colour.
20 minStep 4: Keep cooking until it reaches 250°F, the soft-ball stage; a drop in cold water forms a soft ball that holds its shape. The colour should be a warm toffee brown.
10 minStep 5: Take the pan off the heat and stand it in a few centimetres of cold water for 5 minutes to cool to about 140°F, without stirring.
5 minStep 6: Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and beat hard with the wooden spoon for 3–5 minutes. Stop as soon as the mixture loses its gloss, turns paler and feels thick and slightly grainy.
4 minStep 7: Pour straight into the tin and smooth the top. Leave at room temperature for 2 hours, until set firm enough to cut.
120 minStep 8: Lift out and cut into small rectangles, about 2 × 3 cm. Wrap each in baking paper and twist the ends; the outside firms into a crumbly crust over the next day or two.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does krówki (Polish milk fudge) take?
- About 175 minutes in total: 135 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of double cream?
- Whipping cream, same amount (less rich; whips softer).
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