Tips on How to Make the Best Holiday Fudge

Every holiday season (and I say this with humble honesty,) I am told that I make the absolutely best fudge that anyone has ever had.  Decadent, melt in your mouth, gourmet quality – name a positive descriptor and it’s probably been used to describe my holiday fudge.  So what’s my secret recipe?  Well, truly, it’s not about the recipe, because most fudge recipes are all about the same, the secret is my methods.  Let me share them with you so you can be a holiday fudge queen or king too.

Select the best chocolate for your fudge recipe. – I find real Belgian chocolate works best for me. Sometimes I use all milk chocolate, sometimes bittersweet, or a mix of the two. For softer fudge, go with all milk chocolate. If you use chocolate chips you run the risk of your holiday fudge tasting like a big chocolate chip. That’s not what holiday fudge is about!

Use the best vanilla. – Skip the imitation vanilla! It’s the holidays; it’s ok to splurge on this one ingredient. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, use a real vanilla bean! If you do, be sure to scrape every little bit out of the bean. Real vanilla lends such a fabulous flavor to your fudge.

Use real butter. – don’t use margarine! Also, I use the sweet creamery butter, salted. Some prefer the unsalted butter. I’ve used both and haven’t noticed a great deal of difference in the fudge flavor.

Toast those nuts! – That is if you’re adding them. A light toasting brings out the rich flavor the nuts have to offer, which is simply divine in your fudge. You can toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally till the nuts become fragrant. Remove from heat, stirring occasionally as they cool.

Boiling the milk, sugar and butter – This is the most important step – the boiling time. Too little time and your fudge is grainy – too much time and your texture will be too stiff. When boiling the milk mixture, you should be stirring constantly with a long handled wooden spoon because the boil should be HIGH to where you can’t stir it down. Use a candy thermometer and boil till temperature reaches 228 degrees, which usually takes 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat, and then quickly add your quality chocolate and other ingredients.

Cook with love. - Meaning, when you're making your fudge, think to yourself, "this is going to be the best fudge ever!" and how everyone who receives your fudge will just love it. Positive, mindful intention goes into every batch of fudge I make, and it really makes a difference! Happy Holidays!