In the unforgettable words of Bob Marley and The Wailers, our team at Original Murdick’s Fudge is once again stirring it up, little darling. Our candymakers are back at it for Mackinac Island’s 2018 seasonand are knee-deep in stirring up deliciousness.
We’re always excited about the 20-plus fudge flavors we’ve fine-tuned over the years that range from Vanilla to Traverse City Cherry to Chocolate Macadamia Nut.
Our special zests — like mint, coconut and espresso — are just the tickets for making our many flavors sing from copper kettle to marble slab to candy box to your mouth!
But the favorites of favorites? As we pour ourselves into a bit of early-season research, we’ve decided to reveal our customers’ all-time top five most popular flavors. You just can’t go wrong with any of the following “fantastic five.”
#1 — Chocolate
We’ve discovered that, once again, the king of our Mackinac Island fresh fudge flavors reigns supreme!
That would be our good ol’ CHOCOLATE made fresh daily on Mackinac Island and at our fudge shops in Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. Who can resist a dense hit of straight chocolate and that lingering finish? Yum!
#2 — Double Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt
Next up on the popularity list, coming in at number two, is our DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CARAMEL SEA SALT. That perfect mix of sweet and salty is perhaps one of the culinary world’s most delish pairings.
#3 — Chocolate Peanut Butter
Our third favored flavor? Here’s a hint: Consider why the simple Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup has become a candy legend.
You got it — CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER ranks high on our list of all–time faves.
#4 —Turtle
Then it’s on to our slooooow good TURTLE variety. Incidentally, we’re so glad that our Turtle fudge is a top preference since Mackinac Island’s Native Americans in the Straits of Mackinac region likened the shape of the island to that of aturtleso they named it “Mitchimakinak.”
But back to TURTLE fudge … when chopped pecans meld with sticky caramel and our coveted chocolate base, you get nirvana. Pure paradise.
#5 —Butter Pecan
Next up in the top five is our beloved BUTTER PECAN. Its claim to fame? A bit of crunch from toasty pecans mingles with notes of brown butter and the yummy essence of vanilla.
So there you have it. Can’t decide among our 20-plus flavors on your next visit to the island? Consider one (OR ALL) of these!
And if you’re not island-bound, we ship deliciousness throughout the U.S. We make fresh fudge daily and await your order or next visit to our Mackinac Island, St. Ignace or Mackinaw City fudge shops.
After years of testing recipes, we're pretty sure we have a handle on the most popular fudge flavors, but chocolate and cherry will always rank high on the list.
The original on the Island since 1887, Murdick's has been serving fresh homemade fudge, peanut brittle, chocolate nut clusters and bark from the very best ingredients.
As Mackinac Island evolved from a center of fur trade into a summer resort destination, Victorian-era vacationers began to identify the island with sweets. At first, the most common candy was maple sugar harvested by Native Americans. Other treats, including fudge, soon followed.
You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).
In 1887, the Murdick family began the very first fudge store on Mackinac Island (now sold out of the family)– the same year that the Grand Hotel opened. Henry and Newton Jerome (Rome) Murdick opened the first fudge store in Michigan calling it Murdick's Candy Kitchen.
A Mackinac tradition for more than 60 years, today Ryba's has two locations on both Mackinac Island and in Chicago. Its fudge is made by hand on big marble slabs, with flavors including Oreo, chocolate pecan, chocolate macadamia, German chocolate, and maple pecan.
Fudge's story began in the United States around the 1880s. The first documented instance of fudge being made was at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York when a student named Emelyn Battersby Hartridge heard of a fudge recipe and made 30 pounds of it for a senior auction.
Do any celebrities live on Mackinac Island? Yes, celebrities have houses on Mackinac Island. A few are actor Vince Vaughn, Director Ron Howard, and Michigan's own Bob Seger.
While all of Mackinac Island, the landform, is located within the corporate limits of the City of Mackinac Island, today 82 percent of the island's landmass is owned by the State of Michigan and managed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission (MISPC).
We tried all of the fudge places in mackinaw and Murdick's was the winner hands down. Some of the other fudge shops did not have the creaminess that Murdick's had, It was smooth, creamy and melted in your mouth. It is also better to buy it in Mackinaw city as opposed to on the island.
The Island House was renovated and reopened in the 1970s. Over the years, it has gone through several more renovations and is now a registered Michigan historic landmark. Ryba's offers ten flavors of fudge to choose from, all made by hand on marble slabs so it is smooth, unlike other fudges.
Bailey spills the beans sharing some of the celebs he's seen such as: Vince Vaughn, Ron Howard, Bob Seger, University of Michigan Wolverines national championship-winning football coach Lloyd Carr and Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winning coach John Harbaugh.
They started making fudge in 1956, calling themselves Mackinac Island Fudge. They moved to the island in 1960 where they changed the name to Ryba's Fudge Shops. Ryba's now has five locations on Mackinac Island and two in Chicago.
Culinary legend has it that fudge was invented in America. On Valentine's Day, 1886, a confectioner and chocolate maker in Baltimore, Maryland "fudged" a batch of French caramels. The delicious result? The very first batch of "fudge" ever.
It's the size of sugar crystals that makes the knees of fudge lovers buckle…the smaller the crystals, the less they are perceived on the tongue and the more the fudge tastes smooth and creamy. Cooking, and beating after cooking, is the key to successful fudge.
What Does Fudge Taste Like? Traditional vanilla fudge has a smooth, buttery taste with a hint of caramel derived from cooking sugar, butter, and milk or cream.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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