I love giving food as a holiday gift but it isn’t always easy to find the time to make traditional holiday foods, complicated desserts and complex candies.
My solution? Fudge!
Fudge is one of the easiest and most delicious holiday treats you can make. It doesn’t take many ingredients and doesn’t take much time—I made a huge batch for my husband to take to work in just a few hours one night. It’s even perfect for a last-minute host gift or party addition!
Don’t believe me? Here’s all you need for a basic recipe:
- 3 cups of chocolate chips of any kind (dark, semi-sweet, or milk—but not white; that’s another blog for another day)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons of butter
Really, that’s it. Those ingredients together will give you an amazingly rich, melt-in-your mouth fudge. There’s very little measuring, a little bit of stirring, no chopping (unless it’s your chosen toppings, and certainly no use of a candy thermometer.
And the best part is that you can enhance the basic recipe by adding all sort of ingredients.
So this blog will consist of:
- Instructions for the basic fudge recipe
- Variations on a theme (of the basic fudge recipe)
So get ready for the fudgey goodness coming your way!
The Basic Fudge Recipe
Staring by lining an 8×8 pan or baking dish with aluminum foil (you can use a larger or smaller baking dish. The fudge will just be thicker or thinner based on what you choose).
Pour about an inch of water into a small pot and turn on the heat on a low setting. Small bubbles should be coming up consistently (simmering), but it shouldn’t be boiling.
Place a heat proof bowl on top of the small pot of simmering water to make your own double boiler. It shouldn’t be so small that it touches the water—it should sit right around the top of the pot, like this:
- Melt the butter in the bowl and stir in the can of condensed milk once it’s melted.
- Once the butter is melted, stir in the can of condensed milk until it’s all combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and keep stirring until all the chocolate is melted and all three ingredients are completely combined.
- Pour the ingredients into the foil-lined pan or dish and smooth the top with a spatula, a knife, or the back of a spoon.
- Put into the fridge and let it chill until it sets.
And voilá—you have fudge!
The Variations
The variations on fudge I’m including here really aren’t much more difficult than the original recipe. Add the ingredients as soon as the chocolate has melted and before you pour it into the pan to set.
Mexican Chocolate
To the original recipe add:
- 1 tsp. of cinnamon
- 1 tsp. of vanilla
- ½ tsp. of chili powder (optional)
Chili and Chocolate
To the original recipe add:
- ½ tsp. of chili powder (or to taste!)
Salted Chocolate
To the original recipe add:
- 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
- Sprinkle about ½ a tablespoon to a tablespoon, depending on your preference, of salt on top (but not table or kosher salt. A delicate salt such as Fleur de Sel, Maldon or Himalayan pink salt).
Peppermint
To the original recipe add:
- Crushed candy canes—sprinkle them on top of the fudge before you put it into the fridge to set
And/or
- ½ to 1 tsp. of peppermint extract (found at your grocery store in the spice aisle)—optional
Chopped Nuts
You can add chopped nuts of any kind. Walnuts are probably my favorite, but almonds are delicious too as are hazelnuts. I’ve even had fudge with pinon nuts and even with pistachios. Each type of nut will change the taste slightly.
With Liquor
You can add any type of liquor to the melted chocolate before your pour it into the dishes. My favorites? Cinnamon Kahlua or Bailey’s Irish Cream. You only need to add a little—possibly a tablespoon, or take a small taste to see if it needs more.
I’m off to make more fudge. My husband took all of ours to work and now I’m craving more. Until next time!
Have any comments? Questions? Blog requests? Comment below!
Nan says
Oh my I’ve just got to try this fudge. It looks so good and sounds so simple. PLUS, the idea of the extra add on of hot/spicey chili flavor sounds yummy. Maybe a little too yummy, have to plan a good sized give away if I’m going to make this recipe. With both a diabetic hubby and a huge chocolate sweet tooth for myself – well you get the picture. 🙂 btw – just tweeted the recipe as well. 🙂 Thanks so very much for sweetening my day!
RSGallegos says
Thank you for reading and tweeting 🙂 Next time I make the fudge I’ll have to send you some!