Greetings, Frugal Farmer friends!! SO, since Christmas is right around the corner, I thought I’d take a few posts this month and share some of the Christmas baking recipes we use in our house, starting with this super easy fudge recipe. By making delicious fudge and candies at home, you can save big bucks off of expensive store prices, and avoid preservatives and other chemicals as well.
Fudge (and candy in general) has a reputation for being a PITA to make, but in the 10+ years we’ve been using this recipe, I’ve only had a problem with it twice. It’s incredibly difficult to screw this fudge recipe up, so even if your bake-nically challenged, I’ll bet you can do this one right. 🙂
Most of the baking recipes we use came from a gal I worked with in the mortgage biz years ago. Val is one of the sweetest ladies I’ve ever known; the kind who truly showers love on others for the simple purpose of blessing them. (She once shared a piece of very wise financial truth with me, and that was “Only people who are faking wealth are mean: truly wealthy people – at least the ones that I’ve know [and she is one herself] are really very nice”)
Val and a friend get together every Christmas season and make a truck load of cookies for their loved ones, and she was kind enough to share the recipes she uses with me when I was a young mom. Val’s nearly 80 now, but still going strong and making a difference in life. And every time we make and eat from a recipe she gave us, I am reminded how important it is that we truly love one another as Christ loves us.
Super Easy Fudge Recipe
4.5 c. sugar (non-calorie, of course 😉 )
1 – 12oz. can evaporated milk
1 stick real, unsalted butter
1 – 12oz bag Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 – 12oz. bag Nestle milk chocolate chocolate chips
2 small jars marshmallow cream
1 c. finely chopped walnuts (optional)
In a very large mixing bowl, put marshmallow cream, chocolate chips, and walnuts (if using), and set aside. Grease or butter a 9×13 glass pan and set aside.
In large saucepan, melt butter, add sugar and evaporated milk, and mix well. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil at a rapid boil for 10 full minutes, stirring continuously. BTW – when I say rapid boil, that means in this case big bubbles, but not so big that the mixture is flying all over the place out of the pan. This usually happens on our stove at about medium to medium-high. Gotta have big bubbles, but not so big that the mix is flying all over the walls.
After boiling and stirring for 10 full minutes, pour the sugar mixture over the chocolate chips/marshmallow cream, and stir vigorously until everything is fully blended and the chocolate chips are melted. BTW, the sugar mixture will be HOT, so be careful. After the mixture is thoroughly blended and the chocolate chips are fully melted (do this step quickly before the mixture starts to cool), turn the mixture into the 9×13 pan. Cover and cool in the fridge for a couple of hours or on the counter overnight until fudge sets up.
The main potential errors with this recipe are:
-boiling the sugar mixture too high, which will not only make a serious mess of your kitchen but will make the fudge too hard.
-not boiling the sugar mixture high enough, which will make the fudge too soft so that it doesn’t set up enough. If this happens, just put it in the fridge longer to help it harden
-not mixing the sugar mixture/chocolate mixture quick enough before it cools, which will leave the fudge grainy and weird-textured.
However, if you follow the above directions EXACTLY, everything will turn out just fine. 🙂
Other tips:
- DON’T use a plastic bowl to mix the cold ingredients and HOT sugar mixture together in: the hot sugar mix may begin to melt the bowl a bit and you may end up with plastic pieces in the fudge (don’t ask me how I know this 🙂 ).
- You can mix the hot and cold ingredients together in the greased 13×9 pan that the fudge sets up in, but you may find that the fudge sticks to the pan a bit if you do this because the grease/butter will mix in with the rest of the stuff.
- Don’t taste it until it cools a bit – not even a lick from the bowl. When you first mix the chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, etc. into the hot sugar stuff, it is VERY hot.
- Use caution around young children. And for yourself too. Be careful of splattering hot sugar mixture.
And above all: share with others. If you don’t, you may wake up the next morning to find an extra several pounds on your hips. This fudge recipe has a very high “yummy” factor. 🙂
Fudge is one of my favorite holiday treats! Brings me back to making fudge with my Mom growing up 🙂
I’ve had a few fudge fails, but every time I get it right, it’s so worth it!
That’s so cool that you baked fudge with your mom when you were a kid! Thankful that my kids will have those same great memories. 🙂
I’ve never made a good fudge. I had the most fantastic fudge one time at the New York State Fair. I’ve never had one before or since that was perfect like that. I need to try this one! Thanks, Laurie! 🙂
You should, Kay!! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Yum! My mom made fudge for one of our Thanksgiving treats and my daughter loved it! I’ll show her this recipe so she can make her own!
Yay! Let me know how it turns out for her. Love it when the kids get into baking/cooking. 🙂
This looks super easy and delicious, I think I’ll try it! Thanks for sharing!
It is, and it is! Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Sounds yummy! I may have to try this one 🙂
It’s yummalicious! Then again, it’s rare that I meet a piece of fudge that I don’t like. 🙂
Thanks for this one Laurie! I’m sure my daughter would love this!
Of course she will – it’s chocolate! 😉
Yum! Fudge is so easy to make and such a good Christmas gift. I’ve given and received it before and it’s always one of my favorite treats this time of year!
I agree! Pretty much everyone loves to receive it. 🙂
I’ve never made fudge from scratch. I love buying fudge from my local Bass Pro shop, who would’ve known they would have so many different flavors there. It’s pretty awesome.
Yet another reason to love Bass Pro Shops!! I’ve never seen fudge there before: I’ll have to keep an eye out next time we go. Thanks for the valuable info, Alexis!
This sounds fantastic!!
It is, Amy – it is! 🙂
Looks delicious, Laurie. My family is big fans of fudge, which works out good for me because it’s so rich for me that I can only eat a tiny sliver. It’s one of those rare holiday treats that I have no problems NOT overindulging in. I think that’s why I make it every year. It’s safe! LOL! I’ll have to give this recipe a try; I’m sure it is fantastic!
The thing about fudge, too, is that it is so satisfying that a little sliver will do ya. 🙂
This looks like a really easy recipe. I think I’m gonna try this for my worker bees at my job. Thanks.
Oooh, great idea! Let me know how it goes over.
Thanks for the recipe! It sounds delicious! Mmmm.
Then again, isn’t all chocolate delicious, LOL? 🙂
I love fudge! It’s my dad’s specialty holiday treat, so he makes about two batches around Christmas. I’ve never attempted to make it myself, though. I prefer to be spoiled. =)
That’s SO cool that your dad makes fudge! Gotta admire a man who can bake, am I right? 🙂
Yummy! I have tried cooking your Fudge recipe. It really is delicious. My kids loved it so much and want me to cook it again this weekend. I added cream by the way. Thanks Laurie. I hope you post more recipes. 😀
Yay! Did you do cream instead of the evaporated milk, or add some cream as well?
I LOVE baking, but I’ve never tried making fudge before. I baked shortbread cookies with my sister a couple of weeks ago, but other than that I haven’t had time for baking. The past couple of months have been quite busy. Hopefully I can squeeze in some this weekend. 🙂
Great cooking tips post by the way! I wish I enjoyed cooking as much as I enjoyed baking. The feeling is the complete opposite. Lol.
You should try this!!! I’d be curious to know what you think about the level of ease with this recipe.
Looks yummy!! Thanks for sharing the potential errors..very helpful to new bakers 🙂
With fudge, I think, you need to know what causes potential failures in order to avoid those mistakes.