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Let’s talk fudge recipes. Fudge is one of those things that is on my must have Christmas baking list. It simply isn’t Christmas without some Chocolate Walnut Fudge in my opinion. I’ve always used Eagle Brand’s Foolproof Fudge Recipe, it’s about as easy as it gets, comes together in not time and no candy thermometer required (that’s a biggie for me!). I’ve been making the same fudge recipe for years, and I’ve decided it’s time to get creative and try some new fudge recipes. Today I have three delicious but very simple fudge recipes for you, Candy Cane Fudge Recipe, Cookies And Cream Fudge Recipe and Vanilla Bean Salted Caramel Fudge Recipe.
All of these recipes are based off of the Cookies And Cream Fudge Recipe from Eagle Brand. They are all quick, simple and easy, and no candy thermometer is required – that’s my kind of fudge!
Cookies And Cream Fudge Recipe
Candy Cane Fudge Recipe
To see how I crush my candy canes, visit this post.
Vanilla Bean And Salted Caramel Fudge Recipe
All three recipes are completely delicious, but completely different – and I love that! The Vanilla Bean and Salted Caramel Fudge Recipe is probably my favorite. But, that said, it’s messy. Very messy. I used ice cream topping caramel sauce, and I think it really needs a homemade caramel sauce. I was pretty certain about that while making it, but I wanted to try this really easy version just to see if it would work out. Flavor wise it’s amazing, but it’s just kind of gooey and messy. To me that is perfectly fine, it’s just a challenge for packaging up, displaying or gift giving. So if nothing else, make a batch and just eat it yourself. I won’t tell anyone. 🙂 You could also omit the caramel and just make a vanilla bean fudge. It would be awesome with walnuts in it (I love walnuts in fudge!).
All of these recipes are made with Eagle Brand. I have an awesome Eagle Brand giveaway going on right now that includes a KitchenAid Stand Mixer! It ends in a few hours, so don’t walk, run (or just click) over to this post and enter to win before it closes on the evening of December 5th, 2013.
1/2cupapproximately, you can use more or less of caramel sauce (ice cream topping)
2-4vanilla beans
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract.
Instructions
Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, extending paper over edges of pan.
Scrape seeds out of vanilla beans and sit aside.
Melt white chocolate squares with sweetened condensed milk in heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla seeds and vanilla extract
Spread a about 1/3 of fudge evenly in prepared pan.
Spread caramel sauce over fudge in pan.
Sprinkle half of salt over caramel sauce.
Spread remaining fudge over caramel sauce.
Sprinkle remaining salt over the top of fudge.
Chill for 2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan by lifting edges of wax paper. Cut into squares. It will be messy!
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimer: I have been compensated by Eagle Brand to share some of my favorite holiday recipes using Eagle Brand. All opinions are, as always, mine and mine alone!
Monitor the Temperature with a Candy Thermometer. If you end up with soft fudge that turns into a puddle in your hands or hard fudge that is a bit reminiscent of a crunchy candy, improper temperature is likely to blame. ...
Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer. ...
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. Chopped almonds also pair well with these flavors so be sure to include them if you have spare nuts on hand.
Make Ahead – You can make fudge weeks ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer. I like to make a big batch and include it on plates of goodies to friends and neighbors.
Use Evaporated Milk- Make sure to use evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk. If you accidentally use sweetened condensed milk your fudge will be incredibly over the top sweet. Cut up the Butter– Before adding the butter in make sure to cut it into smaller pieces for faster melting.
Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.
Fudge almost always has a pretty high sugar content as well as having some cream in it—both fattening. If you compare that to eating pure dark artisanal chocolate, it is a no-brainer. Dark chocolate of 70% cocoa or higher is considered a health food and often contains only two ingredients: cocoa and organic cane sugar.
To obtain the world famous taste, the fudge is slowly cooked in traditional copper kettles over a gas flame. Once the desired temperature is reached, the mixture is poured onto marble slabs for a cooling period and then hand-paddled into loaves.
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).
According to most recipes, the ingredients of fudge are cooked to what is termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers.
If your fudge turned out super sticky, or it didn't set as it cooled, it probably never got hot enough. This mistake is super easy to avoid if you use a candy thermometer and cook the fudge to the temperature specified in the recipe (usually between 234 and 239°F).
If there is too much evaporation, when the cooking time is too long, there will not be enough water left in the fudge and it will be too hard. Conversely, if the cooking time is too brief and there is not enough evaporation, too much water will remain and the fudge will be too soft.
Fudge is best stored at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks wrapped up in its original wax paper. NEVER REFRIGERATE your fudge as this will draw out the moisture and leave you with dry, crumbly fudge.
At its simplest, fudge is a dense, soft candy, often made with sugar and dairy products like butter and milk. Nowadays, fudge is usually flavored with chocolate, but you can utilize pretty much any flavor, such as peanut butter, pumpkin, even birthday cake.
Yes. Fudge can be frozen and most fudge recipes will freeze and thaw well. The texture of the fudge matters here; fudge with a denser texture tends to freeze better than fudge with a lighter texture. Freezing fudge can be a good option for long term storage as opposed to refrigeration.
It is important to stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken and its surface starts to look dull or matte. Now is the time to stop beating and pour the fudge into a mould. Another tip: Do not scrape the sides of the pan or the spoon used for stirring.
The key to creamy, luscious fudge is controlling crystal formation. If the sucrose (table sugar) crystals are small, the fudge will feel creamy and smooth on your tongue. But if the crystals are large, the fudge develops a crumbly, dry, or even coarse texture.
Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!
Introduction: My name is Kareem Mueller DO, I am a vivacious, super, thoughtful, excited, handsome, beautiful, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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