When I asked Mr. C. what kind of fudge to make for Christmas, he immediately remembered the layered fudge he had thoroughly enjoyed at our good friends Tim and Suzie’s home. We were having a bit of a social hour after the guys (TimE3 Jazz – Tim, Todd, and Andy) completed their Sunday afternoon rehearsal. And a variety of fudge was available for the starving musicians. (Food and adult-beverage rewards are always appreciated! By both the band members and their wives!)

So, I decided to come up with a recipe. And the recipe you find below worked out just fine. Not only is it decadently delicious; it looks delightful on a tray of assorted Christmas goodies. But this fudge is much more than just a Christmas confection. It would be perfect for Valentine’s Day or as a special gift for someone’s birthday or anniversary. This fudge is just that good!

I made the bottom layer with milk chocolate, but it could easily be prepared with semi-sweet or even dark chocolate if that would be your preference. Matters not.

I don’t know about you, but I am darned glad the holidays are over. Not that I don’t love seeing everyone and that all the festivities aren’t fun. But boy do I get pooped these days. But now that the tree is untrimmed and all the decorations are safely tucked away in our downstairs storage room, I can get back to doing what I like best. And that’s trying out new recipes and sending them on to you through the magic of the written word. And not only do I love writing out the recipes, I also very much enjoy writing up the introductions. That’s because I love to read. And have been an avid reader since I was a small child.

I know I miss valuable information by not watching TV. But I do read the paper every day, discuss significant issues with our highly educated and informed friends, and read Heather Cox Richardson’s daily report. But the places I get to visit and characters I get to meet through reading books has always been more satisfying than too closely following the shenanigans of the men and women who are currently trying to shift our country from a democracy to an oligarchy. So, my New Year’s resolution is to continue keeping semi-informed. While at the same time staying sane by reading as many books as possible. (And yes, I know, being an ostrich is not always the best choice. But I figure my sanity is worth a bit of sand in my beak!)    

As always, peace and love to all.

Milk Chocolate Fudge layer:

3 c. granulated sugar

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

1 small can (5-oz.) evaporated milk (2/3 cup)

2 c. milk chocolate chips (12-oz. pkg.)

1 7-oz. jar marshmallow crème

1 tsp. vanilla

Line a 10X16-inch pan with foil and coat lightly with nonstick spray.

Heat sugar, butter, and evaporated milk to a full rolling boil in a heavy saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil on medium heat until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees, stirring constantly to prevent scorching; about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and marshmallow crème until melted. Stir in the vanilla.

Spread immediately and evenly into the prepared pan. Cool at room temperature while you prepare the white chocolate fudge.

White Chocolate Fudge layer:

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

20 oz. white chocolate, roughly chopped (And no, white baking chips are not a substitute. I use Callebaut White Chocolate Callets (chips).)  

3 T. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

In a large, glass bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate, and butter. Place the bowl in your microwave and heat the ingredients over medium heat until the white chocolate has melted, and the mixture is completely smooth, about 8 minutes. Stir often during the process.

The mixture will be quite thick. Carefully spread the fudge over the milk chocolate fudge layer and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting.

Remove from fridge, lift the fudge out of the pan, remove the foil, and cut into small squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve either cold or at room temperature.

And now for something completely different.

It’s Christmas time in case you hadn’t noticed. And around here and for the Christmas packages I put together for my kids, Christmas is not complete without fudge. So, every year I try to mix things up a bit in the fudge arena, so no one gets bored with my offerings. Now perhaps I’m getting selfish in my old age, but this year I decided to build a fudge for myself and if others enjoyed it too, all the better. (Even if they didn’t like it, there were 3 other types of candy from which to choose!)

Anyway, I envisioned a white chocolate fudge studded with toasted coconut. And yes, I know, real white chocolate is hard to come by, and not everyone likes coconut. But thanks to the miracle of Amazon Prime, in just two days I had a 5-pound package of white chocolate chips delivered to my front door. And coconut flakes always reside in my pantry. (I often use them in granola.)

So, to the kitchen I proceeded armed with this fabulous recipe from the annsentitledlife.com website.

Now, here’s the deal. If you don’t like really sweet fudge (and I usually don’t), this is not the fudge for you. But I must say, this fudge is amazingly delicious, and so very easy to prepare. And if taken in small doses, this could become your favorite fudge too.  

Enough blather. I have better things to do with my time right now, as I am well aware, you do too! It’s Christmas for God’s sake! (And I do mean for God’s sake!)

So, if there is a coconut lover on your Christmas gift list, I suggest you make that person a batch of this fantastic fudge. And if you too love white chocolate, I will soon be posting a recipe for Layered Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate Fudge. Also, quite delicious.

I know I just go nuts at Christmas. And I know I am not alone in changing from “panic mode” to “nap mode” often in the middle of a sentence. But don’t drive yourself crazy. This is the season of love, and forgiveness, and family. And if you burn yourself out, no one is going to profit, especially you. If everything doesn’t get done, so be it. If there is one less kind of cookie baked, who cares? Be kind to yourself and cut yourself some slack. Consider it a very well deserved present to yourself.

Peace and love to all.

1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes (I use Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flakes, unsweetened)

2 c. granulated sugar 

1 c. evaporated milk

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

12 oz. (2 cups) white chocolate chips (I use Callebaut White Chocolate Callets (chips)  

2 tsp. good coconut extract

7 oz. marshmallow fluff

Lightly grease an 8″ x 8″ square pan and line it with parchment paper (in the shape of a (+). Set the dish aside.

Place the coconut flakes into a shallow frying pan. Heat over medium heat while stirring continuously until the coconut is toasted to a nice golden brown.  

Combine the granulated sugar, evaporated milk, and butter in a heavy saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat a bit and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the mixture reaches a temperature between 234 to 240-degrees as measured by a candy thermometer.

Take the saucepan off the heat and immediately stir in the white chocolate chips, coconut extract, and the marshmallow fluff. Mix until the white chocolate chips are completely melted, and the marshmallow fluff is thoroughly incorporated.

Reserve two tablespoons of the toasted coconut and mix the rest into the fudge mixture.

Spread the toasted coconut fudge mixture into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Sprinkle the reserved toasted coconut flakes evenly on the top of the fudge. Pat down gently to help keep the “toasted coconut garnish” in place.

Allow the coconut fudge to chill until firm.

Remove the fudge to a cutting board and cut into desired size pieces. (I suggest cutting the fudge into very small pieces. You can always have a second piece. Or third, etc. etc.) Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I have been making this toffee now for about 50 years. I don’t make it every year, because frankly, I can’t stop eating most of it myself. It is truly my favorite candy. It’s basically better than Almond Roca. And I know, is that even possible? But you’ve just got to trust me here. It is better, and a hell of a lot cheaper and fresher than the stuff you get in a can. (No offense, Brown & Haley!) And the best part of all, it’s really easy to make. You do, however, need a heavy pan (I use one of my smaller Le Creuset Dutch ovens) and a good candy thermometer. And you must have patience. Not easy at Christmas time. But a must if you are going to produce perfect toffee.

Anyway, as you can see from the list of ingredients, this is not a complicated recipe. In fact, if you use salted butter you don’t even need the ¼ teaspoon of salt. So, it would take a little bit of work to find a candy recipe with fewer ingredients.

The only thing I have left to say about this candy, is that it makes a wonderful hostess gift, or a thank you offering, or a way to say Merry Christmas to loved ones. Once you make this candy however, there’s no turning back. It will haunt you every Christmas if you don’t make it. It’s kind of like being a character in the Nutcracker. You can just be lying in bed trying to go to sleep when a vision of English toffee dances through your head. Believe me, it has happened to me more than once. So, don’t let that happen to you.

As always, have fun in your kitchen. Create delicious and healthy food for yourself and your family. And this Christmas, let’s all be especially grateful for our many blessings. And thankful for those special friends and relatives that so greatly enrich our lives.

In years past, it has been all too easy for me to take my family and close friends somewhat for granted. This year, if there has been any positive outcome to all the stress and sacrifice, it’s been my realization of how much I love and cherish my dear friends and my amazing family. Their importance in my life will never again be considered a given. Peace, joy, and love to all.  

1 lb. (4 sticks) unsalted butter

2 c. granulated sugar

¼ tsp. kosher salt

2 c. milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use a combination)

1-1½ c. chopped toasted almonds 

Line an 18 x 12-inch jelly roll pan (also called a half-sheet pan) with parchment paper.

Using your favorite wooden spoon, combine the butter, sugar, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium low heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Once the candy is boiling, reduce the heat a bit and slowly and evenly stir the mixture until the candy reaches 300 degrees. (I find myself adjusting the heat the whole time I am making this toffee. If it seems to be getting too hot, I turn down the heat. If it appears not to be getting any hotter, I add a few more BTUs. Kind of a constant reevaluation of existing conditions.  

When the temperature reaches 300-degrees*, remove from heat and quickly pour the very hot mixture onto the prepared pan. Spread the hot candy out using an offset spatula. (I must admit that Mr. C. helps me with this part. He holds the pan while I scrape out the candy with a silicone spatula. Then he goes away, and I spread the toffee out as quickly as I can.)  

Immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the toffee. Let sit for a couple minutes while the chocolate melts. Then again using your offset spatula, spread the softened chocolate into an even layer over the toffee. Immediately sprinkle the chopped almonds over the chocolate. Gently and carefully press the almonds into the melted chocolate.

Let the candy cool completely (that means the chocolate too) before breaking into serving size pieces. Store in an airtight container in a cool place.

*If it’s an especially humid (rainy) day, let the candy go to about 302 degrees. That will help keep the toffee brittle.

    

I love pralines. Can’t help myself. But I’ve never had the patience or the perfect recipe to replicate the pralines that reside in my memory. But then, my memory ain’t what it used to be either. Plus, I’m not in New Orleans where I first tasted pralines that I firmly believe were made in heaven by angels who just happen to love jazz. Then transported somehow into the candy shops all throughout the greater New Orleans environs.

And yes, I know, most theories revolve around French settlers arriving in New Orleans bringing with them the current candy’s predecessor, a sugar-coated almond confection. It is said that African American cooks working in the French colonists’ kitchens transformed the sugared-almond candy into the pralines we know today. And because of their abundance, pecans replaced the almonds. The final product, which is what we have today, is a sweet, brown sugary, creamy patty filled with pecans. And as much as this theory makes sense, my bet is still with the angels. Because pralines are heavenly. Who can argue with that? So, this is not a recipe for a true praline. But, it is a recipe for one heck of a wonderful fudge.

The candied pecan part of this recipe is based on a cookiesandcups.com post I found on-line. The fudge part is from my original cooking instructor – Betty Crocker. I put the two together, and if I say so myself, which of course I will, these two recipes were a marriage made in heaven. (There I go again with that praline “heaven” theme!)

But seriously, once you taste this fudge, if heaven isn’t the first thing that comes to your mind, there is no hope for the human race. (It’s kind of iffy anyway, but this would leave no doubt!)

So, dear readers, if you want to impress the pickles out of yourself and even your friends, I suggest you mix up a batch of this candy at your earliest convenience. And guess what? Christmas is just around the corner. So why not gift some of this amazing fudge to a particularly wonderful neighbor, or your kid’s teacher who is zooming in every day so that your child can continue to learn and stay motivated during the weirdest time most of us have ever experienced. Or that friend who could use a special treat. This is the season of sharing. Let it begin with you.

Peace, joy, and love to all.

Candied Pecans:  

2 T. unsalted butter

3 c. chopped pecans

½ c. brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. kosher salt  

¼ c. water

1 tsp. vanilla

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pecans and stir continuously for 3 minutes, to lightly toast the pecans.

Add in the brown sugar; stir for an additional 2 minutes to melt the sugar.

Stir in the salt and the water. Cook, stirring continuously, until the water is evaporated, 3-4 minutes. Add in the vanilla and stir to coat. Remove from the heat and spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant and lightly crisp.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. When cool, break apart.

Bourbon Praline Fudge:  

4½ c. powdered sugar

4½ tsp. bourbon

3 c. brown sugar, packed

1 c. (2 sticks) + 2 T. unsalted butter

pinch kosher salt 

¾ c. evaporated milk

3 c. candied pecans (from recipe above)

Place the powdered sugar and bourbon in the bowl of your stand mixer. (I use my Kitchenaid mixer.) Set aside.

In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, cook the brown sugar, butter, salt, and evaporated milk over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the butter has melted and the brown sugar is dissolved. Gradually heat to a full rolling boil and stir constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and scoop into the bowl of your stand mixer right on top of the powdered sugar and bourbon.

Using the paddle attachment, beat on low speed for 1 minute. Then beat for 7-10 minutes on medium speed or until the mixture begins to hold its shape and is warm to the touch. (My fudge took 7½ minutes on speed “4”.) Using a spatula, quickly stir in the candied pecans.

Immediately pour/scoop the mixture into a lightly buttered parchment paper lined 10×16 pan or 2 9-inch square baking dishes. Smooth out the fudge with an offset spatula. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.

When ready to cut, lift the parchment paper out of the pan(s). Peel off the parchment paper and cut the fudge into small pieces. (This fudge is very rich!)

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Gift to anyone you feel is worthy.

  

OK, I know. Christmas is long gone, but I’ve been busy and just discovered that I hadn’t posted this recipe as planned. But to be truthful, I might never have posted this recipe because, well, frankly, I couldn’t keep from sneaking pieces of this fudge while it was a resident in my refrigerator. So I interrogated Mr. C. to see if he really liked the fudge. Yes! Would he enjoy eating it in the future? Yes! Darn. I was hoping he would say it wasn’t really that good and I could throw the recipe away. But my conscience got the better of me and now you too have an easy to prepare and delicious way to add unnecessary calories to your diet at Christmas time. (Sorry, but I realized I just didn’t care to be the only person sneaking into the refrigerator in the middle of the night while everyone else was dreaming of sugar plums!)

Which led to – what the heck is a sugar plum anyway? Well, as it turns out, sugar plums are a combination of dried fruit, nuts, sugar, honey, salt, and seeds (anise, caraway, fennel, cardamom) rolled into a sugar coated ball. Yikes! I had no idea and no, I am not going to try making them. So don’t be looking at my blog for how to make these old-fashioned Christmas treats. Go somewhere else for that recipe. Unless of course you make them yourself and they truly taste better than I envision. Then please send me the recipe and if need be, I will apologize profusely to whichever deity you choose.

But until then, I just don’t get how caraway, fennel, anise, and cardamom seeds would work with dried fruit and nuts.  In the meantime, I’m going to stick with this easy, 5 ingredient candy for pleasant dreams that persist in dancing through my wee little head! I might even start thinking of the dance of the sugar plum fairies as the dance of the white chocolate fudge. With my new found knowledge, that makes a lot more sense! Till next time – adieu.

• 1 c. salted pistachios 
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 20 oz. good white chocolate, roughly chopped (and no, white baking chips are not a substitute)
• 3 T. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• ¾ c. dried cranberries

Place the pistachios on a sheet pan and toast in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, and roughly chop.

Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, allowing the excess paper to hang over the sides; set aside.

In a large, glass bowl combine the sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate, and butter. Place the bowl in your microwave and heat the ingredients over medium heat until the white chocolate has melted and the mixture is completely smooth, about 8 minutes. Stir often during the process.

Fold in the pistachios and dried cranberries. The mixture will be quite thick. Scrape the fudge into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting.

Gently run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the parchment paper. Remove the candy and transfer to a cutting board. Peel off parchment paper, then slice the fudge into small pieces. Serve at once or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Serve at room temperature.

         

I promised to provide you with a couple more recipes for fudge. And yes I know. Fudge recipes are a dime a dozen. (Well actually they’re free. If of course you don’t take into consideration what you paid for your computer or fancy phone to begin with. And the exorbitant fee (really a hostage fee) you pay each month to be able to access information. But let’s get back to the matter at hand. Fudge!)

Like I said, there are a lot of recipes out there for fudge. (And God bless them, one and all!) But just like in every dish, some are better than others. Now I don’t mean to brag (but I’m going to do it anyway), this fudge is everything a fudge should be.

It’s chocolaty, it has a smooth not grainy texture, and you don’t really taste the bourbon as much as you “experience” it! Sounds crazy right? But it just happens to be the case. And of course the toasted pecan pieces offer their own little enhancement to the overall culinary delight. In other words – this is really, really delicious fudge! And super easy to prepare.

But please don’t just take my word for it. Make a batch of this for yourself. And I do mean for yourself! This is the kind of treat you just might not want to share with others. Let me explain.

Let’s say you gift a friend with a tin of this fudge. Next year, that friend will want more. It’s inevitable. And he or she may even have told your other friends about the fabulous fudge you make. And now you are the “fudge person”. It can only get more difficult as the years go by. So think before you gift!

But if in your zest for this most joyful of holiday seasons you decide to take a chance and share this candy with your loved ones, more power to you. That puts you in the same boat with me. And in my estimation, it’s a fine boat to be in. I love making holiday treats to share with my family and friends. And I adore receiving homemade gifts of any kind, but especially the ones that are edible.

So go for the gusto. Throw caution to the wind. Embrace the holidays rather than shrinking away from all the festivities. And make some fudge. It’s good for that inner kid in you that is still yearning to believe in Santa Claus. Now if Santa will just grant me my wish for world peace………………  

3½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (the better the chips, the better the fudge)

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

¼ c. bourbon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 c. toasted pecans, roughly chopped

fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt

Place the chocolate chips in a large glass bowl. Microwave on medium heat until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir often.  

Add the butter and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave for 1-2 minutes until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir often. Remove from microwave.   

Gently stir in the bourbon, vanilla, and kosher salt; mix well. Stir in the pecans and scoop the mixture into a parchment paper lined 9×9-inch square or 11×7-inch rectangular baking pan. Pat the fudge into place and smooth out the top. Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel.

Place the fudge in the fridge for at least 2 hours. When the fudge is firm, remove the pan from the fridge. Lift the fudge out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes or so. Using a sharp knife, cut the fudge into small squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.

     

Tis the season for making fudge. And of course I could always prepare a few of the lovely fudge recipes that I already have in my arsenal. But what fun would that be? Where is the challenge of coming up with something new and different to send to my kids in their goody packages? And from my practical side – how can I put the bag of marshmallows that have been in my pantry since the beginning of last summer to good use? While at the same time answering the age old question of why did I think I needed peanut butter chips when I shopped at Winco a few days ago? (I already had about 4 cups worth in my freezer!) See where this is leading?

So, the result of all that I have candidly revealed above is a new recipe for a fudge that tastes at least to me, better than a Pay Day candy bar! No kidding. This fudge is truly that amazing. And it’s stinkin’ easy to make!

The recipe (with a couple minor changes) comes from the liluna.com site. Thank you Kristyn. And I’m not kidding when I say that you simply must make this fudge if you are like me and consider Pay Day candy bars to be a bit of heaven in a wrapper. Ahhh – just thinking about them makes me happy. But what makes me even happier is that I have some of this fudge in my very own refrigerator. And now that I think about it, I could use a little pick-me-up. So bye for now. Happy Holidays to all.

There are also several recipes for fudge on this site already. Just type FUDGE in the search box and you will be rewarded with more opportunities for adding unnecessary calories to your diet than you ever dreamed of. And watch for 2 more new fudge recipes to come. (Just keeps getting better, right!?!?) White Chocolate Fudge with Pistachios and Dried Cranberries and Salted Bourbon Chocolate Fudge with Pecans.

6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter

4 c. peanut butter chips

4 c. (8 oz.) mini marshmallows

2 (14-oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk

6 c. salted peanuts (no skins), divided

In a heavy medium-sized pan, melt butter and chips until well combined. Reduce heat and stir in the marshmallows and sweetened condensed milk until creamy and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 4 cups of the peanuts.

Pour mixture into a lightly buttered 10×16-inch pan. Cover the top with the remaining 2 cups of peanuts. Gently press the peanuts into the fudge. Allow candy to cool completely before covering with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and storing in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, cut into squares and let come to room temperature.

Recipe can easily be halved, but why bother. You’ll just have to make more!

Note: Instead of buttering the pan, you can line it with parchment paper allowing for a bit to hang over all four sides of the pan. Then when you are ready to cut the fudge, just lift the whole mess onto a cutting board. Cut into whatever sized pieces you desire. Serve on a really pretty plate. This candy deserves only the best presentation.

This Christmas I decided to try out some new candy and cookie recipes. (Like I don’t do the same thing every holiday season!) But this year I actually over-achieved my own expectations. (I love it when that happens!) Previously I posted Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Balls, Fleur de Sel Chocolate Nut Bark, and Chocolate and Mint Chip Shortbread Cookies. Today I offer up this recipe for a heavenly hazelnut flavored fudge.

Now I know that it is really close to Christmas and time is of the essence. But if you still have someone on your list who deserves a little “something special”, I recommend a Christmas tin of this fudge as a quick and easy answer to your predicament.

The preparation is simple, the presentation delightful, and who do you know that doesn’t enjoy receiving a gift of homemade candy?

So I will make this preface quick so that you can get to work in your kitchen. Don’t have Frangelico on hand, leave it out. Don’t have Nutella, hazelnuts, or marshmallows in your pantry, you are going to have to make a trip to your local grocery store. But I’m telling you true, you’ll thank me in the end. BTW, not all of the fudge has to be shared. Tuck some away in the back of your fridge. You are more than worthy of a special Christmas treat yourself! Happy Christmas everyone.

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter  

¾ c. evaporated milk

3 c. granulated sugar

pinch kosher salt

2 c. (12-oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

12 oz. bag marshmallows

1 c. Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 T. Frangelico (hazelnut flavored liqueur)

1 c. chopped toasted hazelnuts

Combine butter and evaporated milk in a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, stir in the sugar and salt. Stir frequently. Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, stir constantly for 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Stir until completely combined and smooth. Add the Nutella, vanilla, Frangelico, and hazelnuts. Stir until well combined.

Pour into the buttered 9×13-inch pan and smooth to distribute evenly. Allow to cool before cutting. Store in your refrigerator.