Fudge: the tastiest holiday treat

[KittyT]

I know there are other threads here dealing with sweets, but in my opinion, fudge is the best holiday treat (and one of the easiest), the creamier and softer the better! But everyone has their preferences and there are SOOOO many variations - white chocolate, milk, dark, peanut butter, marshmallow, with or without nuts, dried fruits....

Here's my favorite recipe, the one my mom has always made around the holidays

18 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
one 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 stick of butter
1 tsp vanilla (or to taste - I use around 2)
nuts to taste (walnuts, pecans...)
dash of salt

dried fruits (apricots, raisins, dried cranberries...) can also be added with the nuts

Combine all ingredients (except nuts) in a microwaveable bowl and heat in one minute increments, stirring each minute, until butter and chocolate are melted. Stir vigorously until very creamy. Stir in nuts. Spread into a buttered square cake pan, cover with foil and cool in the fridge.

Cut into squares, wrap and give to all of your friends so they fatten up while you maintain your svelte figure over the holidays... right! You'll be licking that spatula before the pan is even in the fridge.

Your turn!

[Wil Tam]

I learned this one from my sister.

2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cups sweet butter [cubed & really cold]
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1 16 oz jar of Strawberry Fluff
2 cups dark chocolate chips
2 7 oz Hershey milk chocolate bars [sectioned]
1 16 oz semisweet baking chocolate bar [chopped]
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups chopped walnuts

Makes about 5 pounds

In a mixer or food processor combine the two sugars start mixing on medium. Slowly add the cubed butter a little at a time till all of it is mixed in. Pour in the evaporated milk mix until incorporated. Transfer the mixture into a large saucepan, cook & stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a rapid boil & boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat & stir in the Strawberry Fluff until melted. Stir in chocolate chips until melted. Add chocolate bars & baking chocolate, stir until melted. Fold in vanilla & walnuts. Pour into a greased large cookie sheet. Chill until firm. Cut into squares.

[Subvet642]

Mmmmm, fudge!

[ShoreRoadLady]

Yum - fudge! One of my favorites! I'll be making some soon; I'll share the recipe then.

I also found the trick to getting it really creamy some years ago, when I had what I thought was a disaster on my hands: the fudge started crumbling and looked incredibly dried out after I beat it. The solution? Put down some wax paper, butter hands liberally, and start kneading extra butter into the fudge. It gets creamy again! I think that was the best batch I ever made.

[ortega76]

I loves me some fudge. Any time of the year, really. Plain old fudge is best but peanutbutter is ok.

[Foofoogal]

Thanks. I am going to try this recipe. My honey loves fudge. There is a store near us that sells pans of different fudges. We went and bought a bunch to take to parties around Christmas. We then had to go back and buy the second round as we ate the first round.
Fudge should come with a warning label.

[Cody Pendant]

The wife makes it for Christmas and I just ate the last piece I was saving, today! Yum!

[ShoreRoadLady]

Just remembered, I forgot to post my fudge recipe! It's from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (not particularly vintage, as far as I know):

"Old Time Fudge"

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 squares (2 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 tsp. light corn syrup
2 TB butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

Butter the sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. In it combine sugar, milk, chocolate, corn syrup, and dash salt. Cook & stir over medium heat till sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boiling. Continue cooking to 234 degrees (soft-ball stage), stirring only as necessary to prevent sticking (mixture should boil gently over entire surface). Immediately remove from heat; add butter or margarine but do NOT stir.

Cool, w/out stirring, to lukewarm (110 degrees), for 35-40 minutes. Add vanilla and nuts. Beat vigorously (believe it...your arm will hurt!) for 7-10 minutes or till fudge just loses its gloss. Immediately spread in the buttered 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Score into squares while warm; cut when firm. Makes about 1 1/4 pounds.

This one tastes best at room temperature, or a little chilled.

[KittyT]

Just remembered, I forgot to post my fudge recipe! It's from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (not particularly vintage, as far as I know):

Well you never know! A lot of recipes in Better Homes have been there for decades! The biscuit and cornbread recipes I use from Better Homes is the same in my newer Better Homes book as it is in the old one I have from the 60s.

[cufflinkmaniac]

My grandmother makes it for Christmas in peanut butter and chocolate. I'm afraid peanut butter and chocolate (or better yet a combination of the two) are as adventrous as I get when it comes to fudge, although cookies and cream when done right can be good.

[ShoreRoadLady]

Well you never know! A lot of recipes in Better Homes have been there for decades! The biscuit and cornbread recipes I use from Better Homes is the same in my newer Better Homes book as it is in the old one I have from the 60s.

It could easily be a vintage recipe! :) (Hence the "Old Time Fudge", maybe?) I know it was in an early '80s version, anyway.

[carouselvic]

http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe191.fantasy-fudge.htmlFan

For a modern recipe, this stuff is not bad.

[rkwilker]

Fudge! Yummo!

[Ethan Bentley]

My favourite is Rum and Raisin, Clotted Cream (Devon or Cornish) and some of the whisky fudge :D