National Fudge Day: Fudge Recipe Round-up & S'mores Fudge

Today is National Fudge Day. I love fudge, and I've posted lots of fudge recipes over the past year or so. I thought I'd do a round-up of some of those fudge recipes and add a new one for S'mores Fudge. I know what I'll be making today.

Goldie's Fudge
Foolproof Dark Chocolate Fudge
Peanut Butter Fudge
Vanilla Macadamia Nut Fudge
Nigella's Chocolate Pistachio Fudge
Walnut Fudge
Triple Chocolate Sour Cherry Fudge
Bailey's Irish Cream Fudge
Creamy Chocolate Fudge
Chocolate Coffee Fudge
Philly Fudge

Here's a new recipe for National Fudge Day! Add it to the S'mores recipes from National S'mores Day!

S'mores Fudge

There are lots of recipes out there, but I'm not good with a candy thermometer, so I was more than happy with the results from this recipe adapted (only slightly) from nosetotailathome.com.  If you're looking for organic marshmallow creme, try Toonie Moonie or Ricemellow Creme... or go for the old American Marshmallow Fluff.

Ingredients
2 & a 1/2 cups sugar
1-7 oz jar marshmallow creme
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup sweet butter
12 ounces dark (65-75% dark chocolate, broken) or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract
1 small bag mini-marshmallows (rough measurement/experiment!)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp sweet butter, melted

Start with these directions, and you'll think you're at the campfire making s'mores:
The night before you make the fudge, spread the bag of mini- marshmallows out on a fireproof surface  take a kitchen torch to them. Make sure you get a toasty color all over to maximize the smokey taste. Cool for a few minutes and then put in a bowl, cover with saran wrap and put in freezer overnight.

Here's where it gets even more interesting:
The next day preheat  oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter, and mix together with the crumbs in a 11 x 7 inch pan. Press mixture onto the bottom and up the side of your pan, using your hand or the back of a spoon. Bake crust for 8 minutes and then let cool.

In a very large glass bowl, combine sugar, marshmallow creme, evaporated milk and butter. Put the bowl in  microwave for two minutes. Take bowl out and whisk mixture until even. Put  bowl back in microwave and do another two minutes. After four microwave/whisks, beat in chocolate and vanilla until well blended. Pour over your graham cracker crust, and then remove your frozen toasted marshmallows and carefully press into the setting fudge. Set, cut and serve.

It's like being at the campfire, especially with the smokey marshmallows!

Triple Chocolate Sour Cherry Fudge

I seem to be on a fudge roll this week, so here's one more recipe for easy fudge making. I love this recipe because it is made with three different types of chocolate including Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread). It also includes dried cherries, a staple in my pantry. This recipe is from Whole Foods Market. As I've mentioned many times, you can search the web for great recipes on food associations,
products, and market sites.

Triple Chocolate Sour Cherry Fudge

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips (or broken up chocolate)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/4 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips (or broken up chocolate)
1 1/2 cups dried sour cherries
3/4 cup roughly chopped pecans, toasted (or walnuts)*

Directions:
Line an 8- x 8-inch glass dish with foil; set aside.

Put milk chocolate chips, evaporated milk, chocolate hazelnut spread, vanilla, salt and semisweet chocolate chips into a medium pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir in cherries and pecans, then transfer mixture to prepared dish. Shake and tap dish gently on the countertop to remove any air bubbles from the fudge, then smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Cover and chill until set, about 3 hours.

Loosen fudge from dish and turn out onto a cutting board; remove and discard foil. Using a serrated knife, cut fudge into pieces and serve.

Photo: Whole Foods Market