Glucose Syrup

Almost every formula for fudge and fondant contains glucose syrup as a doctoring agent. Glucose syrup slows the formation of sugar crystals and helps create a smooth texture. Insufficient glucose syrup can permit large sugar crystals to form, resulting in a grainy texture. Excessive glucose syrup gives fudge an elastic, gummy texture, rather than the short texture that is desired. Because the glucose syrups most commonly used are much less sweet than sucrose, the addition of glucose syrup also helps reduce the sweetness of fudge. Too much glucose syrup, however, can prevent the requisite crystallization and results in a bland flavor in the finished confections.