Tag: fudge

Maple Walnut Fudge

Fudge making is a delicate business, requiring a precise balance of ingredients, time, and temperature. I’ve made fudge the shortcut way, using marshmallow creme or baking chips. While it certainly yields a delicious treat, there’s a big textural difference between real fudge – the kind made from sugar,butter, milk, and extracts, all cooked to a perfect temperature – and the kind made with marshmallow creme and/or baking chips.

This recipe, adapted from one by Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, yields what I’d called candy, but not exactly fudge. It’s smooth and tasty, and I certainly liked it, but it doesn’t have the texture I want in fudge. My only solution to this problem is to try, perhaps sometime soon, to make maple walnut fudge the old-fashioned, clip-a-candy-thermometer-to-a-heavy-saucepan way. Stay tuned!

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3 cups white baking chips
  • 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 teaspoons maple extract
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, divided

Preparation

Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with foil.

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, baking chips, and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave in 2-minute intervals, stirring about every 30-60 seconds, until melted and completely smooth; it took me about 5 1/2 minutes.

Remove from microwave and add maple extract, stirring to completely combine. Add half of the walnuts and stir to combine, then pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts.

Chill until set, about 2 hours. Cut into squares and store in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before serving.

Makes 24 medium-sized pieces of fudge; pieces can be cut smaller though, as this is a rich treat.

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Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

easy-pb-fudgeI’ve made many batches of this fudge recipe with milk chocolate chips, but various migraine-related issues have put an end to my chocolate-eating days. Fortunately, I’ve always loved peanut butter fudge, and this recipe offers an easy alternative to chocolate. Much to my surprise (and delight), this fudge has a much richer peanut butter flavor that you might expect to get from peanut butter chips, though I do recommend using the Reese’s brand instead of generic.

This recipe makes a smaller batch and is not quite as sweet as my previous peanut butter fudge recipe, though both are delicious. While the original recipe calls for this to be refrigerated after pouring into the lined pan, I chose to leave it at room temperature to cool completely; you could certainly refrigerate it if you like, though refrigerating fudge can dry it out.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup (one 5-ounce can) evaporated milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups Reese’s peanut butter baking chips
  • 2 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Line an 8×8 baking dish with foil, extending foil over the sides.

In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter chips and marshmallows; set aside. Place vanilla in a small prep bowl; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt; stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. Note: you must continue to stir the mixture while it boils for 5 minutes; I stir with my non-dominant arm during this period so I don’t get too tired.

Remove from heat and add peanut butter chips, marshmallows, and vanilla extract. Vigorously stir until the mixture is smooth, about 3 more minutes. Pour into baking dish and allow to cool completely at room temperature before cutting.

Peanut Butter Fudge

IMG_3598There’s a scene in Julie & Julia where Simone Beck, flipping through an American cookbook, asks in her awesome French accent: “what eez marshmallow fluff?” 

“Fluff” is actually the brand of marshmallow creme made by Durkee-Mower, Inc., one of three North American companies to manufacture this confectionery concoction of corn syrup, sugar syrup, vanilla flavoring, and egg whites. Often employed in the fluffernutter sandwich alongside peanut butter, marshmallow creme is also used in baking and candy making and is a frequently-found ingredient in fudge.

This recipe is very simple, requiring just 6 ingredients that you’re likely to have on hand (except perhaps for the evaporated milk). As a Jif loyalist, I highly recommend using Jif peanut butter in this fudge; the end result is a smooth, very sweet and peanut buttery treat.

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 2/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Line a 13 x 9 baking pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside, close to your stove top, for easy access once fudge is ready to be poured.

In a large pot, combine butter, evaporated milk, and sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add peanut butter, stirring very well to combine. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla, stirring vigorously to combine ingredients completely.

Pour into prepared pan and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Cut into small squares (trust me, this fudge is very sweet and you don’t need large pieces) and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Note: refrigerating fudge can dry it out, so refrigeration is not recommended.

Milk Chocolate Fudge

 

 

 

 

 

I will admit it: I am cheap. And I don’t like to waste, so when I found myself with half a can of evaporated milk left over from pumpkin pie last Thanksgiving, I surely didn’t want to pour it down the drain. A quick online search led me to this recipe, an easy one especially if you’re a rookie candy maker.

Remember, on this blog, we have no fear. Candy making needn’t intimidate anyone if they follow their recipe and choose a dry day to experiment (because sugar attracts water and behaves differently in humidity and rain). Essentially, candy making is about how sugar is transformed when heated, if it forms small crystals or large crystals based on what temperature it reaches and whether the molecules are agitated by stirring.

This particular recipe requires extensive and vigorous stirring, so be prepared to get a bit of a workout. It also helps to have an assistant for the step when you remove the mixture from the heat and add the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and vanilla, so you can continue to stir constantly.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
  • 2 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Line an 8×8 baking dish with foil, extending foil over the sides.

In a medium bowl, combine chocolate chips and marshmallows; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt; stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. Note: you must continue to stir the mixture while it boils for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, marshmallows, and vanilla extract. Vigorously stir until the mixture is smooth, about 3-4 more minutes. Pour into baking dish and place in the fridge to cool completely.

Cut into squares and store in the fridge.