Fantasy-ish Fudge Recipe
My take on the classic fantasy fudge recipe - made with Scharffen Berger chocolate, butter (not margarine) , and organic cane sugar.
Classic fantasy fudge - so good, but oh-sooo bad. It's an icon of holiday indulgence, and the rich, smooth chocolate squares are hard to resist. I love the way each bite feathers against the enamel of my teeth. I love the jolt of tooth-ache inspiring sweetness that dissipates before I know what hit me. That being said, I'm never the supplier - I never make it. I know what goes into a batch of fantasy fudge, and rarely have anything other than the chocolate on hand in my own kitchen - no Kraft marshmallow creme, no margarine, no huge quantities of white sugar, no evaporated milk. But we are neck-deep in the holiday season, and when I came across a container of Ricemellow Crème the other day while grocery shopping, it occurred to me to try to make my own version using less processed and better quality base ingredients. It's still fudge, it's still the sweetest thing I've put in my mouth all year, but it's a few degrees in my direction on the ingredient spectrum.
Here's how I approached this. I wanted to maintain the spirit, texture, and general flavor of the original recipe. I didn't even attempt to cut back on sugar, fat, or anything like that. When it comes to fudge, I think I'd rather enjoy half as much amazing fudge, and have it be great. A small piece of this goes a long, long, way. I used butter as the fat and organic, fine-grain cane sugar, and the Ricemellow Crème - which is made from brown rice syrup. I used coconut milk, and its mild flavor worked beautifully in place of the evaporated milk. And I used a bar of Scharffen Berger 62% semi-sweet chocolate. I like my fudge smooth, so no nuts in my version - but if you like your fudge chunky, the original calls for 1 cup chopped walnuts.
I haven't tested it yet, but I'm nearly positive you can do a delicious vegan version of this recipe by using coconut oil in place of the butter. Also, for reference, Kraft Marshmallow Creme doesn't have gelatin in it, but it does have corn syrup, artificial color and flavor, and egg whites (for those of you avoiding animal-related products). The original, classic fantasy fudge recipe was printed on the side of Kraft Marshmallow Creme jars.
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Fantasy-ish Fudge Recipe
I used Ricemellow Creme here. If you can't find Ricemellow Crème in your natural food store, you can still use regular marshmallow creme with good results. Vegans, I almost did this with coconut oil - I think it would be a reasonable (and tasty) substitute for the butter here.
1 9.7-ounce bar of good-quality semi-sweet chocolate (62% Scharffen Berger)
3 cups organic cane sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup lite coconut milk (regular is fine too)
7 ounces Ricemellow Crème (or the marshmallow creme of your choice)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Butter a 13x9 baking dish. Alternately, you can line it with parchment paper. Finely chop the chocolate bar and set aside.
Combine the sugar, butter, and coconut milk in a thick-bottomed medium-large saucepan. Slowly bring the mixture to an active boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling for five minutes over medium heat - if you are using a candy thermometer it should reach about 235F degrees. Remove from heat, stir in the chopped chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate is melted, add then add the Ricemellow Creme, vanilla, and nuts (if you are using them).
Pour the fudge into the prepared baking dish, and let cool. After 5 minutes or so, I use a spatula to make a swirl texture on the top of the fudge (optional). You can let it set at room temperature, but I like to let it cool in the refrigerator overnight, where it sets up nicely, making it simple to slice into 1/2-inch cubes. Tip: A thin knife is best for cutting, or (even better) a large pizza cutting wheel.
Makes a couple hundred tiny fudge bites.
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Thanks. I was just thinking that I wanted to make dairy-free fudge for my son with allergies, but I couldn't find the recipe I used last year. I do know that last year I made mine with Scharffenberger and people went nuts for it.
Funny. I was just at a friend's house in the suburbs of LA. She also has two young kids. She had absolutely nothing healthy to eat in her house and ended up making my son a peanut butter and Marshmallow Kreme sandwich. I thought of all my food snob friends and parenting snob friends and laughed. Apparently she doesn't read you, Heidi.
yes, marshmallow creme is good, GREAT in fudge, and simplifies it a lot. but sorry, it's not old-fashioned fudge unless it's made without it. marshmallow creme fudge has been around a lot of years. i'm surprised this is coming up like a new invention or something. Here's REAL fudge... Cocoa Fudge 3 cups sugar 2/3 cup cocoa 1/8 tsp. salt 1½ cups milk ¼ cup (½ stick) butter (or margarine, but why mess with it?) 1 tsp vanilla Line an eight- or nine-inch pan with buttered foil. Stir sugar, cocoa and salt and milk, stirring until mixture comes to a full boil. Boil without stirring to 234º. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR! Cool to 110º, beat until fudge thickens and loses some of its gloss. Quickly spread in the pan. Yield: 1¾ pounds.
I love reading your blog....but i must admit that at times I am not as organic in ingrediants as you. I wish at times you would write in substitutes for some of the items like the ricemellow creme or marshmallow creme of your choice....do you mean marshmallows? Never have I heard of anything referred to as a creme. Thanks....other than that I love your posts. Bruce
Great recipe! Do you know how long fudge can keep?
Thanks, I am just about to go into a diabetic coma from just looking at the incredible photo. Yum. Maybe I can get away with making it for my son and then tasting a tiny piece?
Whoa...this looks simply decadent and incredible. Heidi, you are a girl after my own heart with these holiday recipes!
Delish!
You also may be interested in trying out a black bean fudge. Still super delicious, but it makes me feel like it's healthier--although, I've never made it, so I can't guarantee that it is.
How does using something called "ricemellow creme" make your fudge "less processed"? All you need to make great fudge is cocoa, sugar, butter, and milk. No fluff of any kind needed! People made fudge before marshmallow fluff was invented. Using sugar alone is more challenging but also more rewarding and it tastes better. If you want to make a less processed fudge, practice your candy making skills and avoid the fluff and fluff-substitutes altogether! HS: Fair enough, but the fluff seems to change the texture of the fudge substantially. I actually don't like "straight" fudge as much. And it was the fluff version I had as a kid.
robin~ if you can get normal marshmallows (and I know, in the main, these aren't a vegetarian item, but work with me) First: grease a pan or pans that will add up to about half of a 13x9, set aside Then, place in a heat-resistant bowl: 10 oz of semisweet or dark chocolate chips (not milk chocolate) 1 stick butter (1/4 lb) dash salt nuts (if desired) Finally, put in a saucepan with sufficient headroom to allow it to double in volume: 1 small (6ish oz) can condensed milk 10 marshmallows 2 cups sugar Place it over medium to medium high heat, and bring to a rolling boil for six minutes, stirring constantly once it warms. Use a long-handled spoon (mine is wooden), because as it heats it turns to a foam, and when it gets to a boil it can spit out. When it starts to have carmel streaks and turns from a milky nougat color to a slightly darker shade of taupe you know you're good to take it off the heat (if you move too early, it will just be a little soft, and you can keep it in the fridge. If you're late, it will be a little dry, which is less easily remedied) Pour this over the chocolate chip mixture, and working fast, stir it all together. It make take a little bit to get all the chips smooth, and if you're struggling I'd suggest placing the bowl back on the burner (turned off, this is the one reason for electric stoves, in my mind). When it looks smooth and delicious, pour the fudge into the prepared pan(s) shake and slam on the counter once or twice to settle, then place somewhere cool to harden. Cover after the fudge comes to room temperature to protect the flavor. This recipe gets a family of 5 through the holiday season, even with a little bit of sharing with neighbors. But then, we have cookies and peppermint ice cream to tempt our fancy at the same time :)
Wow, what a great idea to use the Rice Mellow Creme! I'm going to be on the look-out for it and will give it a try next time. I adore fudge and only make it once or twice a year ... using the horribly processed marshmallow fluff. So glad Dana's comment tipped me off to your wonderful blog! (Thanks, Dana!)
Yeah,it would not be the holidays without fudge! My sister-in-law makes a mean three ingredient vegan fudge...brownrice syrup, cacao powder, and earth balance I believe... She fools everyone at the get togethers....Raw fudge is also delicious but it misses that over the top sweet factor. This one seems even more fool proof, with the rice mellow creme..Thanks!
I'm going to keep this a secret as long as possible! If my other half sees it...I'll have to make it! lovely blog!
Lovely photos as usual Heidi. Any ideas to sub for the Ricemallow creme? The soy protein is an issue for me, but I wouldn't want to use the kraft stuff either...
Congratulations on making the Washington Post's FOOD SECTION special on holiday cookies today (December 10th)!!!!!
This looks awesome. I can't wait to try it. Thanks!
Diva at Beach Eats did a similar recipe earlier this week: http://beacheats.blogspot.com/2008/12/she-lives.html My family didn't make fudge at the holidays so I'm just realizing how popular it is for others at Christmas time!
This looks lovely. I'm just wondering -- could you cut some of that tooth-ache by introducing some espresso powder?
I'm drooling over the top picture.... I need some chocolate in my system now! Thanks for sharing!
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