These 3 recipes are the very definition of “easy fudge.” They’re all 3 made with sweetened condensed milk, and so even though this isn’t strictly a D.I.Y. Friday post (you don’t usually buy fudge at the grocery store, do you?), I was actually quite pleased to see that the fudge sets up best … when you use our homemade sweetened condensed milk recipe. And that was a D.I.Y. Friday post. I only made the recipes with both store-bought sweetened condensed milk and with the homemade variety made with evaporated milk. I haven’t tried any of them with the dairy-free kind, or the whole milk kind, but I have every confidence that they would work that way, too. If you’re dairy-free, try it and let us know how it goes!
We begin with chocolate fudge, since, well, it’s a classic. It sets up quick and easy, and tastes as good as the chocolate you use. I’ve made it with more expensive bittersweet chocolate (usually Scharffen-Berger), and it’s amazing. I’ve also made it with totally cheapo Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate, and you know what? Still delicious. It’s fudge, for crying out loud.
The ingredients are super simple, of course. The title of the post is “easy,” after all.
The peanut butter fudge has no chocolate in it, which really helps fudge set up. So to keep it from being too soft, you add some confectioners’ sugar at the end. No biggie. This one’s for the peanut butter lovers out there. I would not make this with Sunbutter or Nutella, as they’re much softer and I suspect you’d have a mess on your hands. Just my 2 cents. :)
Ah, vanilla fudge. I am working diligently on a non-white-chocolate version of vanilla fudge (coming soon!), but this recipe is all about how to make the simplest fudge, from sweetened condensed milk. This is how you do it. Don’t forget to add the pinch of salt, though, or the sweetness can be a bit much. And don’t try to melt white chocolate chips! They seize. They really just aren’t made to melt. I used white chocolate baking disks, which are made to melt. Want a truly amazing vanilla fudge? Try using homemade white chocolate. Now that would be dreamy…
Meet you back here on Monday for a big intro to my next cookbook, Gluten Free Classic Snacks! I’ll show you the Table of Contents, the cover and a few of the most amazing food photos I’ve ever seen. Simple, unfussy, but gorgeous. I’m planning to include a few photos from the Table of Contents that I select, and then let you guys weigh in on what other photos you’d like to see, and I’ll edit the post the next day to include a few more of the most requested! I can’t wait!!
Chocolate Fudge
11 ounces dark chocolate (or semi-sweet chocolate), chopped
12 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Vanilla Fudge
15 ounces white chocolate, chopped (or white chocolate disks, but not chips!)
12 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Fudge
1 cup (256 g) smooth no-stir peanut butter (the kind that doesn’t separate in the jar)
12 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (173 g) confectioners’ sugar
For each type of fudge, line an 8-inch square baking pan with two sheets of crisscrossed unbleached parchment paper, each overhanging opposite ends of the pan. These will be the handles that you use to remove the fudge from the pan once it is set. Set the pan aside.
For the chocolate fudge, place the chopped chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in a medium-size heat-safe bowl. Place the bowl over a simmering pot of water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the mixing bowl, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. (Alternatively, place the bowl in the microwave and heat in short, 45-second bursts at 70% power, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.) Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the salt and vanilla, and pour into the prepared pan. Spread into an even layer and allow to cool for 10 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to chill until set (about 4 hours). Remove from the pan, slice into 12 squares and serve. This fudge is the most stable at room temperature.
For the vanilla fudge, place the chopped white chocolate (or chocolate disks) and sweetened condensed milk in a medium-size heat-safe bowl. Place the bowl over a simmering pot of water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the mixing bowl, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. (Alternatively, place the bowl in the microwave and heat in short, 45-second bursts at 70% power, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.) Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the salt and vanilla, and pour into the prepared pan. Spread into an even layer and allow to cool for 10 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to chill until set (about 4 hours). Remove from the pan, slice into 12 squares and serve.
For the peanut butter fudge, place the peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk in a medium-size heat-safe bowl. Place the bowl over a simmering pot of water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the mixing bowl, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is smooth. (Alternatively, place the bowl in the microwave and heat in short, 45-second bursts at 70% power, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth. There is no chocolate that might burn, but the peanut butter will dry out if it is heated too much.) Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix to combine. The mixture will be thick. Scrape into the prepared pan and press into even layer. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to chill until set (about 4 hours). Remove from the pan, slice into 12 squares and serve. This fudge is the softest of the 3 kinds. For a stiffer, more stable fudge, add more confectioners’ sugar by the quarter-cup until you are satisfied with the consistency.
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