Candy Cane Marshmallow Oreo Fudge

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! As the designated fudge maker, this was a recipe that I longed to make! This is a milk chocolate fudge, but then you throw in marshmallows, chopped up Oreos, peppermint baking chips, and candy cane pieces. It seems like this fudge contains too many things and is difficult to name, but the fudge comes together beautifully.

My fudge looks a little bit different than the original recipe that Peabody made for her blog. This, I discovered, was based on the type of peppermint baking chips that you used. I had a few types on hand- from minty chocolate chips to chips that resembled peppermint bark. While I thought these were purely white chocolate with peppermint, but there were some regular chocolate chips mixed in. I suppose I could have sorted out the non-white chocolate, but I didn’t. That layer of fudge was lighter brown rather than white.

When I cut the fudge, the candy cane pieces I had on top had melted somewhat, but I was able to top the fudge with additional crushed peppermint. This didn’t use very many Oreos, so we had many left to eat! I cut this fudge in fairly large pieces, I’m not exactly sure why. This fudge is fairly heavy and does cut better with a warm knife. I also brought mine out of the refrigerator before cutting, which also helped. I would like to make this again, maybe with the correct type of peppermint chips and I would also chop the Oreos into smaller pieces.

Candy Cane Marshmallow Oreo Fudge

12 ounces milk chocolate

15 ounces sweetened condensed milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1 tablespoon butter, divided
 1 cup Oreos, crushed into pieces
8 ounces white chocolate
4 ounces Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1/3 cup peppermint/candy cane pieces

Line an 8” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt the milk chocolate in the top of a double boileror in a microwave, stirring until melted and smooth. Add half of the sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla, and half a tablespoon of butter. Remove from the heat and fold in the crushed Oreos. Spread evenly in the prepared pan and freeze for 30 minutes. 

In a (clean) double boiler or microwaveable bowl, add the white chocolate and Peppermint Crunch chips. Stirring frequently, melt until smooth. Stir in the remaining sweetened condensed milk and ½ tablespoon butter. Fold in the mini marshmallows. 

Remove the fudge from the freezer and top with the white chocolate fudge, spreading as evenly as possible. Top with the peppermint pieces. Refrigerate for several hours. 

Remove the fudge from the pan and cut with a sharp knife; the fudge will cut more easily with a warm, dry knife.

Recipe from Sweet Recipeas

Boston Cream Pie Fudge

Since I became the designated fudge maker in the family, I don’t always choose very traditional fudge recipes. My dad used to make about 20 different varieties of fudge and molded chocolates, and I simply don’t have the time for that. I have long looked at different recipes, but I was hesitant to share them as I didn’t want my dad to feel compelled to make them. Now I am choosing to make them.

One that I have wanted to make for a while is this recipe for Boston Cream Pie Fudge. It uses a variety of ingredients: marshmallow fluff, custard powder, white chocolate chips, but you also have to cook the butter/sugar/cream to soft ball stage. An interesting combination and one that made for a very thick mixture! I certainly got a workout with this recipe.

Since the fudge was so thick, my effort to swirl the batter wasn’t very obvious. You make the base fudge then cut it into pieces and dip in melted chocolate, which I hadn’t done before. Thankfully the fudge was easy to cut and dipping in chocolate was no problem at all. The chocolate adds a nice flavor to this fudge, which has the subtle flavors of white chocolate and custard.

Boston Cream Pie Fudge
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup heavy cream
2 cups white chocolate chips
7 ounces marshmallow cream
3 tablespoons Bird's Custard Powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
3 tablespoons cocoa powder

6 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Line an 8” square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and lower the temperature to medium low. Cook until the thermometer reads 234 degrees, which was about 10 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and add the white chocolate chips, stirring until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the marshmallow crème, then the Custard Powder and vanilla. Stir until smooth.

Pour 2/3 of the fudge into the prepared pan. To the remaining 1/3, stir in the cocoa powder, mixing until combined. Pour the chocolate 1/3 on top of the remaining fudge in the pan. Swirl the two fudges together with a flat knife. Chill the fudge for several hours.

Remove the fudge from the pan and cut into squares. 

Finally, make the topping: in a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and vegetable oil. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Dip the top of each piece of fudge into the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to set before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Sweet Recipeas

German Chocolate Cake Fudge

This summer when my husband and I were on holiday, we had some German Chocolate Cake fudge. German Chocolate Cake is one of my favorites and to have it in fudge form was lovely. I knew that I wanted to try making a similar fudge, and I found a couple of different recipes to consider. 

The fudge that I had was a two-tone fudge, with a chocolate nut base topped with a white chocolate, coconut, and pecan topping. I did find that I could piece together a couple of different recipes to make a similar fudge, but I also found recipes like the one below that was more all-in-one. Going with my theme of not-too-difficult recipes, I chose that route.

Ideally, I would make my own coconut pecan frosting, and you can do that if you have the time. This fudge only takes a few minutes to assemble, as you melt things in the microwave then stir in the extras. I use British-style unsweetened desiccated coconut rather than American-style sweetened coconut because I figured this is already sweet enough! This fudge set up beautifully and cut in lovely little squares. This was very easy and very tasty!

German Chocolate Cake Fudge
12 ounces dark chocolate chips
7 ounces coconut pecan frosting
⅓ cup Nutella
½ cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon salt
Additional coconut

Line a 8” or 9” square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium/large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, coconut pecan frosting and the Nutella. Microwave for 1 minute and then stir. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds, stirring again. Continue heating in 30 second increments until the mixture is smooth. 

Add the pecans, ¼ cup coconut, and salt and stir to combine. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle with additional coconut. 

Refrigerate until firm, at least several hours. To serve, lift the fudge from the pan and peel away the foil. Cut into squares.

Recipe from Cooking with Janica

Chocolate Cherry Amaretto Fudge

I am now the designated fudge maker in the family, which is something that I am not terribly sad about. I sure do miss my Dad, and I certainly won’t make as many types of fudge and candies that he did, but I enjoy trying new fudge recipes. I have four new recipes to try, and I will likely make some classics, too.

I love anything with cherries, so I knew this would be great. It’s a combination of halved maraschino cherries and Amaretto liqueur, and cherries pair so will with almond flavors. The method of this fudge is quite different, where you mix the sugar, chocolate, and marshmallows and then whisk in the powdered sugar and Amaretto at the end. Different, but it seemed to work well!

I made sure to prepare everything in advance, as once you get started this fudge comes together quickly. The butter and milk will foam and froth, so make sure your pan is sufficiently large, don’t try to get away with a smaller pan! This fudge has a lovely milk chocolate and almond flavor. I found the fudge to be ever so slightly crumbly when I cut it, but I think that may be because the cherries were quite large. I cut them in half, but I think it would have been better to cut them smaller. I would make this again, as the flavor is fantastic, but next time I will cut the cherries up more.

Chocolate Cherry Amaretto Fudge
1 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons Amaretto
2-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
13 large marshmallows, torn in half
1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup maraschino cherries, cut in half (or smaller) and dried with a paper towel

Line a 9” square pan with foil, spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and Amaretto; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and milk. Over medium-high heat, bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling for three minutes, again stirring constantly, and then remove from the heat.

Add the vanilla, marshmallows, and chocolate chips to the saucepan and stir until the marshmallows and chips have melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar/Amaretto mixture until smooth, then fold in the halved cherries. 

Transfer the mixture to the 9” pan, smoothing the top. Refrigerate the fudge until fully chilled and set.

To serve, remove the fudge from the pan and peel away the foil. Cut into 1” squares. Store in the refrigerator. 

Recipe from The Kitchen is My Playground

Cranberry Pecan Christmas Fudge

There are quite a few Christmas fudge recipes that are out there, and sometimes they have similarities and sometimes they are very different. I actually made a Christmas Swirl Fudge last year, but that was a white fudge with red and green swirls. The recipe that I am making this year, also a variation of Christmas Fudge us a two-toned fudge, with a chocolate pecan layer and a white chocolate cranberry layer. It is very different from last year, but also very festive for Christmas.

I was concerned that it may be difficult to make the fudge layers and keep them completely separate, but that was no concern at all. I ended up using my 9” square pan, so the fudge is thinner than had a used a smaller pan. I worried at first, but when I cut the fudge, the pieces looked great, so I need to learn to worry less.

I made one change to the recipe- the original called for a cinnamon and chocolate chips in the chocolate layer, and I just used traditional chocolate chips. I do love cinnamon chips, and probably are festive, but I kept this one simple. I also used dried cranberries from Nuts.com and they were perfectly round! I had never seen that before, but they taste wonderful. My husband deemed this my best fudge of the year, and it is hard to disagree!

Cranberry Pecan Christmas Fudge
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 can sweetened condensed milk, divided
½ teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1 ½ cups white chocolate chips
½ cup dried cranberries

Line a 8" or 9” square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, vanilla, and half of the sweetened condensed milk. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth. Add the pecans and stir to combine. Spread the chocolate layer evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.

In a separate microwave-safe bowl, combine the white chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, and the remaining half can of sweetened condensed milk. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the dried cranberries.

Pour the white chocolate layer on top of the chocolate layer, spreading evenly.

Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Once the fudge is chilled, remove the fudge from the pan and cut into 1-inch squares.

Recipe from Midwestern HomeLife

Rum Raisin Fudge

One of the main requests in fudge making this year from my husband is his desire for me to make rum raisin fudge. On the west coast, rum raisin isn’t all that common, but I have seen more examples of it on the east coast and especially in the UK. This is a UK fudge recipe, flavored with rum and raisin, and it is quite different from traditional American-style fudge.

This fudge uses brown sugar (and a lot of it) for the base, which changes the overall texture of the fudge. The original recipe calls for muscovado sugar, which is a type of brown sugar. I was in the British shop and couldn’t recall if I needed muscovado sugar or demerara sugar, but I had already stocked up on regular brown sugar so I ended up using that. I do try to make different British recipes, but the best advice is to stay flexible and use what ingredients are available.

This is one of the fudge recipes that I made that does require the use of a candy thermometer. When I started doing that, I was so worried that I wouldn’t get the temperature correct, but it just requires a little patience to watch and make sure the fudge doesn’t get overcooked. You do want this fudge to crystallize somewhat, which is different than most of the fudge I made. This fudge is quite sticky and sweet, and has that grainy texture that is typical of British-style fudge.

Rum Raisin Fudge
100 grams raisins
3 tablespoons rum
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
100 grams butter
 500 grams brown sugar

Line an 8” square pan with parchment and spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.

Add the raisins and the rum to a small bowl and allow to soak for at least an hour.     

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, butter, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring all the time to dissolve the brown sugar. Continue stirring (while boiling) for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 235-240 degrees (soft ball stage). The constant stirring will help avoid burning the mixture in the pan.

Once the mixture reaches temperature, remove it from the heat and add the rum/raisin mixture. Stir vigorously until the fudge begins to crystallize and thicken. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and allow to cool in the refrigerator overnight.

When fully set, remove from the pan and cut into 1” squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Woman & Home

Rocky Road Fudge

I have to say that when I started making fudge recipes, I was worried that they would be complex, or they wouldn’t quite turn out right. As I have started to make fudge, I realize that most recipes are fairly easy and flexible, which is nice. That leaves me to explore different flavors and not have to worry too much about the technical aspects of fudge making. I will admit that some recipes are quite different (I have one of those coming up), do use a candy thermometer, but overall, I have been very pleased with the fudge I have made.

This fudge is flavored with rocky road, a favorite of mine. You probably have had rocky road ice cream, but in a fudge I thought it sounded so good. I sometimes have mini marshmallows on hand, but they get stale very quickly so you can’t buy those too far in advance. Other than that, this fudge calls for the classic flavors, just peanuts and marshmallows. You need one cup of peanuts for this fudge, and even with snacking through part of the jar of peanuts I had enough for this recipe.

With the addition of the marshmallows, this fudge does remain fairly soft. It sets up ok, but the marshmallows add an inherent soft and sweetness that is nice. I made mine completely in the microwave, which was great but I perhaps could have used a larger bowl. That last mix of all the ingredients was a challenge! Overall, this is another wonderful, simple fudge recipe that you can add to your holiday baking plans.

Rocky Road Fudge
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup salted peanuts

Line an 8” square pan with parchment and spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray

In a medium glass bowl, combine the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and the butter. Heat in the microwave for 90 seconds. Stir, and continue heating and stirring in 15 second increments until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla, mixing until smooth. With a spatula, fold in the miniature marshmallows and salted peanuts.

Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Refrigerate until set, overnight.

Remove the fudge from the pan and cut into 1” squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Barefeet in the Kitchen

Black Forest Fudge

 As part of holiday baking, I have started making fudge as well, to honor my Dad who had been the family fudge maker. While Dad usually made 20 types of fudge and lots of each type, my offerings are more modest and will fit in my 12 Days of Holiday Baking. I had selected four different fudges to make this year, plus I will inevitably make some of the favorites from before, like Irish Cream Fudge. Yum!

I love cherries and Black Forest Cake is a favorite of mine, so when I came across this recipe I was very excited. I have found that fudge recipes are often very easy to make, and this was true for this recipe as well. My only challenge is that I had the heat too high when I was bringing the butter, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk to a boil, requiring me to start over. I had to use a smaller saucepan, so I put the chocolate chips in a separate bowl and poured the butter/condensed milk mixture over them, then added the cherry preserves, marshmallow fluff, and dried cherries. It worked great.

I let mine chill for quite a while, and got back to it a few days later. Fudge is good to work with as it assembles fairly quickly and then it is happy to chill in the refrigerator. It is best that it’s very cold when you cut it, so time in the refrigerator is good. This fudge is substantial, and takes some energy to cut, but you are rewarded with chocolate fudge dotted with dried cherries and a subtle swirl of marshmallow.


Black Forest Fudge
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup cherry preserves
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
1/2 cup dried tart cherries

Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil then spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and salt. Continue to heat over medium, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat.

Off of the heat, stir the chocolate chips, cherry preserves, marshmallow fluff, and dried cherries to the saucepan. Stir until the chocolate chips melt and the other ingredients are incorporated. You may have slight streaks of marshmallow fluff, but that looks interesting.

Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared 8-inch pan. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.

Once the fudge is set, remove from the pan and cut into squares. Store the fudge in the refrigerator.

Recipe from bell’alimento via Dixie Crystals

Christmas Swirl Fudge

Merry Christmas! When I started making fudge, one of the recipes that I got a request for was Christmas swirl fudge. I had my dad’s binder of recipes and I found that recipe. I recall this fudge: it’s a white fudge with a red and green swirl. I looked online for the same recipe, and I was unable to find one that used the same ingredients. The recipe I was using called for 8 cups of white chocolate chips, which is a lot, and as I said previously, are difficult to work with.

I made that fudge, but I never was able to get the chips to melt completely. This is an issue that I have with white chips, and if they get too hot then it seizes into a giant lump. I kept going, even though my red and green was more pink and light green, and it had also seized for the most part. I thought it looked waxy/oily and wasn’t too happy.

I decided to try a different recipe, with fewer ingredients (3 cups of white chips) and it made a smaller batch. This one worked out much better, although it was still difficult to get the green mixture completely melted. I’m much more pleased with this recipe, but this fudge is quite thin. That’s ok, since at least this version turned out!

Christmas Swirl Fudge
3 cups white chocolate chips
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon red gel food coloring
1/2 teaspoon green gel food coloring
1-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Line a 9” square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Place 1 cup of white chocolate chips in three separate bowls and add 6 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to each bowl. In one bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon green food coloring. In another bowl add ½ teaspoon red food coloring.

Microwave each bowl (separately) for 30 seconds, then stir, and microwave for an additional 15-20 seconds if needed. Repeat with the additional bowls. Once the mixtures are smooth, stir ½ teaspoon peppermint extract into each bowl.

Drop the three mixtures randomly into the prepared pan. Once you’ve added all of the mixtures to the pan, swirl the mixture with a thin knife. Refrigerate the fudge until it sets, several hours.

Once the mixture is set, lift from the pan and cut into small squares.

Recipe from Like Mother, Like Daughter

Penuche Fudge

I had planned to make six different varieties of fudge this year, but as I made recipes, and talked to people, I kept adding ideas of recipes that I wanted to make. One that was particularly interesting was brown sugar or penuche fudge. It seemed a lot different that other recipes I made, and the recipes seemed really interesting. I decided I would try this recipe for penuche, a new experience for me!

There are many different recipes online, but I chose this one from Taste of Home. While Taste of Home recipes aren’t terrible extravagant, they do usually work well, and that was what I needed. This fudge is made on the stove with a candy thermometer, but I have done that before, so I wasn’t worried. Once the mixture reaches the temperature, you take it off the heat, add a few ingredients, and let it cool to 110 degrees. This does take some time but leaves it so you can do other things.

I beat the mixture for what seemed like a long time, but I wasn’t sure how thick the fudge should get. It didn’t lose its sheen, after a long time, so I put it in the mixer on low for a bit. I’m not sure if this helped or not, but it seemed to set once I refrigerated the fudge. The fudge is a little soft, but the flavor is great. The brown sugar flavor is very pronounced and the fudge is sweet, but the flavor is fantastic.

Penuche Fudge
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, diced
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Line a 9” pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray.

In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, sugar, milk, corn syrup, and salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees. Remove from the heat and top with the butter and vanilla. Do not stir.

Allow the mixture to cool, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 110 degrees. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken. Add the pecans and continue beating until the mixture is very thick and starts to lose its sheen. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate until set.

Once set, lift the foil from the pan and cut into small squares.

Recipe from Jhana Seidler via Taste of Home

Peppermint Bark Fudge

I came across this fudge recipe and I thought it sounded great. I had made another fudge flavored with mint, but that was Irish Cream fudge, and this peppermint bark fudge seemed a lot different. It is a two-toned fudge, but reading through the recipe it seemed quite straightforward, so I figured I would give it a try.

You divide a can of sweetened condensed milk in two and make a dark chocolate layer and a white/peppermint layer. Dividing the condensed milk into equal halves isn’t the easiest, even with my handy kitchen scale. I almost divided it evenly but used the (slightly) smaller quantity for the white/peppermint topping. The dark chocolate layer came together easily, although it was difficult to spread evenly in the 8” pan. It felt like I needed more of the chocolate layer.

Working with white chocolate chips is always an adventure, and that was true in this case! You don’t want the chocolate to get too hot and seize, but you also want the white chips to melt completely. I did a lot of microwaving, waiting, stirring, and more microwaving, until I was satisfied. I never microwaved the white chocolate mixture for more than 20 seconds, but it still seemed to take a while. I think I will double this recipe in the future and make it in a slightly larger pan. The fudge is great, but a little thinner than I would prefer.

Peppermint Bark Fudge
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
¼ cup crushed peppermints
Additional crushed peppermints

Line an 8” square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray.

Divide the sweetened condensed milk equally between two microwaveable bowls. Add the dark chocolate chips to one and the white chips to the other.

Microwave the bowl with dark chocolate chips in 30 second increments, stirring frequently, the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla and spread evenly in the prepared pan.

Microwave the bowl with white chips in 15-20 second intervals, allowing the mixture to rest and stirring after resting. Stir in the peppermint extract and ¼ cup crushed peppermint. Spread evenly over the chocolate layer. Sprinkle with additional crushed peppermints.

Refrigerate until firm. Lift the fudge from the pan by the foil and then cut into squares.

Recipe from Sugar Spun Run

Chocolate Pecan “Fantasy” Fudge

This is the original fudge that my Dad first started making years ago. I knew that this year when I started making fudge, this was one recipe that I was certainly going to make. Let’s be honest, I will likely ALWAYS make this recipe, and that’s ok because it is a wonderful classic. There are many versions of this recipe out there, but I chose to make this one from I am Baker. I think Dad used a slightly different recipe, but this is close to the many recipes he had.

There are some variations even within this one recipe! The first question is the size of pan, and I opted to make a thicker fudge in a 9” square pan. You can also make this in a 9” x 13” pan, but I think that would be really skinny fudge, and that doesn’t feel right! You can use walnuts or other nuts, and I always use pecans. This recipe called for mini marshmallows, or marshmallow fluff, and I used fluff. There is a long dialog on the Internet about marshmallow fluff vs. marshmallow crème, and I used marshmallow fluff, in the straight sided container from Fred Meyer.

Of the fudge recipes I have made, this one is slightly more involved in that you need to use a candy thermometer. I purchased a nice thermometer last year and it makes everything so easy. I was worried about the temperature coming from the pan base, right on the flame, but this one sits off of the pan and I love that. While more complex, this is still quite simple, and the biggest challenge is lots of stirring to get everything together. This fudge is really great, but it’s not Dad’s fudge and I sure miss him!

Chocolate Pecan “Fantasy” Fudge
¾ cups butter
3 cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup evaporated milk
2 cups chocolate chips
7-ounce jar of marshmallow fluff
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

Line a 9" square or 9” x 13” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, mix the butter, sugar, and evaporated milk. Heat on medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue heating until the mixture registered 234 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Add the marshmallow fluff, pecans, and vanilla and stir until combined. Spread the fudge evenly into the prepared pan. Refrigerate until set.

Lift the fudge from the pan by the foil and then cut into squares.

Recipe from I Am Baker

Salted Nut Bar Fudge

Ages ago, when my husband and I were on a holiday, we decided to visit the local candy/fudge/ice cream shop. This is not an unusual thing for us to do! Nothing says it’s a holiday like having a treat, even if the weather isn’t so cooperative. Since I live in Washington, I am used to all sorts of rainy weather most of the year. It’s been long enough that I don’t remember what the weather was like, but I do recall that the shop had salted nut bar fudge, and it was fantastic.

When I knew that I would be making fudge this year, I knew that I wanted to find a recipe that replicated the salted nut bar fudge when I was on holiday. I found a few recipes, and many of them called these items salted nut bar candy bars, but when you look at the ingredients, there is no question that this is fudge. I gathered the ingredients and went to work.

This recipe is made in an 11” x 7” pan, but you can certainly use a 9” square pan if that’s what you have available. You put half the peanuts in the base of the pan, make the peanut butter fudge, and then top with additional peanuts. The ones on the top don’t stick quite as well, but I did my best to press them in to stick. This fudge smells divine when you make it, which is not at all surprising with peanut butter chips, sweetened condensed milk, and marshmallows! This fudge is pretty sticky, but I think it truly captures the flavor of the salted nut bar!

Salted Nut Bar Fudge
3 cups roasted salted peanuts
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 cups peanut butter chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

Line an 11” x 7” baking pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray.

Spread about half of the peanuts in the base of the prepared pan. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and peanut butter chips over low heat. Once the mixture is smooth, add the mini marshmallows and sweetened condensed milk. Continue to heat on low, stirring frequently, until the marshmallows melt and the mixture is smooth.

Pour the peanut butter/marshmallow mixture over the peanuts in the prepared pan. Top with the remaining nuts, pressing the nuts gently into the filling to secure.

Refrigerate until set, at least an hour. Lift the fudge from the pan with the foil and then cut into squares.

Recipe from Chocolate, Chocolate, and More

Pina Colada Fudge

One of my favorites of all the different types of fudge that my dad used to make was his pina colada fudge. I didn’t really know a lot about fudge, although I do recall the fantastic flavors. I also remember that you can only have a small amount of this fudge as it is so sweet. I found his recipe for this fudge and knew I needed to make it.

This recipe comes from a Pillsbury Bake Off, which tells you a bit about the ingredients. When the competition began in the late 1940s, people used standard ingredients such as flour and sugar. Since this recipe is from the 2002 contest, the requirements are different. Typically, recipes need to include one or two premade or specialty ingredients. This recipe uses Pillsbury vanilla frosting, which is unusual in fudge but explains why this fudge is so sweet.

I do use slightly different recipes from my dad, and I could tell the difference. I use desiccated coconut, which is smaller cut and less sweet than American-style coconut. I also wasn’t sure about the dried pineapple, as what I found was slightly darkened due to the drying process. In the end, the fudge looked as expected, so the pineapple I used was fine. The coconut, since it is a smaller cut, is very prevalent. I like this since I love coconut so much. This tastes a lot like Dad’s, but slightly different. And yes, it is still very sweet.

Pina Colada Fudge
2 cups white chips
3.25 ounces chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
16 ounce can Pillsbury vanilla frosting
1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
1/2 cup toasted coconut
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract

Line a 9” square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the white chips in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring frequently, until the chips are melted and smooth.

Reserve ¼ cup of chopped macadamia nuts. Fold in the remaining macadamias, vanilla frosting, dried pineapple, coconut, rum and coconut extracts. Mix until thoroughly combined and then spread in the prepared pan. Top with the ¼ cup reserved macadamia nuts.

Refrigerate until firm, at least an hour, before cutting into small squares.

Recipe from Michelle Grosella, BakeOff 2002 via Pillsbury

Irish Cream Fudge

This holiday season is a little bit different, and that is true in many different ways. I got my love of baking from my father, but in the last few years he turned to making fudge and molded chocolates. My father passed away earlier in the fall, and with him went all of the wonderful items he created. Like father like daughter, I suppose, and I have now been deemed the family fudge maker. I am just starting with fudge at this point.

I have chosen six different fudge recipes to make, a combination of recipes that he made and some that are new. I am sure that Dad made some sort of fudge that was minty, and likely something with Irish Cream Liqueur. This is a new recipe and not one that he had made, at least as far as I know. I am pretty much a fudge novice, so this was a perfect recipe to start with. This is one of the easiest recipes I have ever made, and the results were fantastic.

This recipe entails melting chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in the microwave, then adding the other ingredients and refrigerating the fudge until it sets. While not all recipes are so simple, fudge seems to be friendly to make. This fudge is so smooth that I almost couldn’t believe it. The mint flavor is there, but it isn’t super strong. The Andes chips do tend to fall off the fudge pieces, but that’s a small concern. I miss you Dad, but I am happy to carry on his tradition.

Irish Cream Fudge
3 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup Baileys/Irish Cream Liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup Andes baking chips

Line an 8” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave for one minute. Stir the mixture and then microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Add the Irish Cream Liqueur and vanilla and stir until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and top with Andes baking chips, pressing down slightly. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate for at least four hours.

Recipe from Simple Joy