Christmas Fudge 3 Ways

Fudge runs in my blood.

Seriously, I’m not playing. My grandmother made the absolute BEST fudge you’ve ever had in your life. She was “the cake lady,” but she did some fudge on the side at Christmastime. My grandparents lived in a small town, so her fudge quickly grew famous until she was making several huge sheetpans of it a day to give away as gifts. She always made the same few flavors, but each and every one was irresistible. My favorite was always the orange creamsicle or the white chocolate and cherry, but the crowd favorite was definitely the peanut butter.

I still remember going to her house at Christmas and seeing sheet after sheet of the stuff piled on her small kitchen table, waiting to be wrapped up and given away. We’d always sneak a piece or two from under the plastic wrap when we walked in the room. Of course, it may have messed up her proportions a little bit…. (this is my public apology to anyone that got a box without white chocolate cherry in it one year. That was my bad).

Her recipe was a closely guarded secret that only passed to a few people. She liked my dad enough to give it to him so he could make it for all of our family friends down here, which is why today I’m able to present you with…

A recipe that I found on the Internet and tweaked to make it my own!

What, y’all didn’t really think I could go putting Nana’s recipe out on the Internet, did you? I can’t just go giving it to everyone, now! To give you an idea of how proud she was of it, I’ll tell you this: When she passed away, we found a framed newspaper clipping in her room from the 1970’s. It was a story the local paper had done on her home baking, including some of her recipes. It had the fudge recipe in it, but it wasn’t the same one my dad had… did she change the recipe over the years, or did she give the wrong one to the paper to avoid copycats? I mean, they did ask for a fudge recipe, and she technically did give them one…

So, you see how much trouble I would be in if I gave it out to any old Joe on the web. That doesn’t mean there can only be one recipe, though! I wanted to make some Christmas fudge for the blog as an idea to accompany gifts for coworkers, family, or friends. When you have a big crowd (like an office or a class), nothing beats a good box of mixed fudge as a gift! It’s easy, personal, and cheap – plus it saves you having to go to seven Targets in an afternoon looking for that one mug that has your coworker’s monogram on it (I mean let’s be real, does anyone ever need more mugs in their cabinets?).

I searched my Christmas Pinterest board and found this recipe for fudge that had the word “perfect” in the title. Great! Who doesn’t love perfection? But for me, it just needed a little bit of tweaking. I’ve never been one for ordinary flavors, so I wanted to try some flavors of fudge that would be hits with my family and coworkers. I took this basic fudge recipe and spun it three different ways: chocolate peppermint, snickerdoodle, and chocolate Bakewell.

The first two are obvious, but let’s give you a little lowdown on the last one. If you know me at all, you know that I’m absolutely obsessed with British cooking shows. Specifically, The Great British Bakeoff and The Big Family Cooking Showdown. I’ve marathoned them, rewatched them, made lists of my favorite bakers, followed all the participants on social media… yeah, I’m obsessed.

Anyways, I’ve learned so much about British food from these shows, including the beloved Bakewell tart. This is a tart made with cherry jam and frangipane, which is a type of custard flavored with almonds. The combination of cherry and almond is so classic and alluring to me, but I couldn’t resist trying to make it even better. Everything’s better with chocolate! So I combined the three and came up with my personal favorite combo: the chocolate Bakewell. Definitely worth the calories, if I do say so myself!

Hopefully you all try this recipe and love it, or adapt it to your own favorite flavorings. Honestly it’s so easy to make, that I’m considering going wild with the flavor combinations. I may even have three more done before Christmas! I’ll keep you posted with any new developments, but I hope you enjoy some of these sweet treats with your loved ones this holiday season. Check back regularly for more recipes!

Christmas Fudge 3 Ways

A quick and easy fudge recipe that's easily adapted to fit any palate. Great for holiday get-togethers and last-minute gifts for crowds!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 2 hrs 15 mins

Servings 36 pieces

Ingredients

  

For the base

• 24 oz chocolate of your choice
• 1 10 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the Snickerdoodle

• 24 oz white chocolate
• 1 10 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tsp cinnamon (divided)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for topping)

For the Chocolate Peppermint

• 24 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 10 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 4 candy canes (crushed, for topping)

For the Chocolate Bakewell

• 24 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 10 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp almond extract
• splash juice from a jar of maraschino cherries
• 18 maraschino cherries (halved, for topping)

Instructions

 

• All of the fudges start the same and then go their separate ways. Start with a 9x9 or 8x8 pan (smaller pan = thicker fudge, larger pan = more servings). Line it with wax paper and set it aside.
• Heat a pot of water to boil on the stove, then reduce to a simmer. Set a heat-safe bowl on top, making sure the water level doesn't reach the bottom (you want to use steam to heat the chocolate, not boil it). Add your chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and salt to the bowl. Stir regularly to ensure all the chocolate is melting evenly and not burning. Once there are no more lumps, remove the bowl from on top of the pot and transfer to the counter.
• At this point you can add your flavorings (in my recipes these are the extracts, cherry juice, or 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon). Make sure you stir the chocolate well to ensure even dispersal of the flavors. Taste it at this point to make sure the flavor is what you want. Add more chocolate if you've overdone it on the flavors, or add more extract or spices if you're not really feeling like it says "snickerdoodle" to you. This is also a good excuse to get some molten chocolate in you without having to go through the trouble of calling it "fondue."
• Once you're happy with the flavorings, pour the fudge into the pan you prepared. Spread it out with a knife or spatula to make sure it reaches all four corners and is a nice, even height. At this point you can add toppings for the peppermint and Bakewell varieties (hold off if you're making snickerdoodle). Place it in the fridge uncovered for about two hours, or until it is set. Once the snickerdoodle fudge is set, combine the remaining 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and the granulated sugar, then sprinkle on top. Some of it will fall off the top, but you don't want to put it on hot because the sugar will dissolve into the warm chocolate and then your fudge will be way too sweet with not enough crunch on top.
• To serve, run a knife under hot water for a few seconds before drying it off and using it to cut through the fudge like gorgeous, chocolatey butter. Congratulate yourself on being such a good gift-giver, and don't forget to save a few pieces for yourself!

Notes

• As stated above, I found this recipe from Mom on Timeout.
• I used a variety of chocolate types: almond bark, candy melts, and baking bars. I was happiest with the texture of the candy melts, but the almond bark and baking bars were really rich, which was nice too. You can find almond bark and baking bars at your local grocery store; candy melts can be found there too, but usually come in more flavors at craft stores. I've got some orange and sugar cookie flavored ones calling my name next!
• Cover the fudge well when you store it at room temperature. Leaving it uncovered during setting allows the top to get slightly hard, which is a nice texture in fudge. Once it's cut, allowing air to the inside makes the whole thing get hard, which is definitely not a nice texture in fudge. So wrap it good, y'all.