I'd like to volunteer to fly down too :D

Think I made some a long time ago...doesn't ever seem to last long though :o

OMNI Christmas Fudge Clinic
 

I know of two recipes which are very good for fudge and will find the recipes when I get home from work. I believe the main difference between the two is that one uses marshmallows and evaporated milk and takes longer to cook than one which uses condensed milk and marshmallow creme.

There are two other recipes I now of that are like fudge, but also use peanut butter or unmelted marshmallows and possibly candied fruit.

What brand and type of chocolate are you planning on using? There are 3-4 major brands of chocolate chips in the US.

I'd love the peanut butter recipe, too.

I have no idea what brand of chocolate I'd use. I usually use Penzey's cocoa, but Nestles semi sweet chips. I generally don't like Ghiradelli. I've also used Baker.

Thanks y'all.

I've yet to find a commercial chocolate chip that tastes decent in the US so I use bar chocolate and chop / melt as applicable - this is my usual go-to for baking http://www.lindtusa.com/shop/chocola...excellence-bar - I don't go for the 85% / 90% - they are too bitter.

As for a basic fudge recipe, this is my go-to (it's from an English cook book that has to be at least 50 years old by now, I am afraid I have no idea what it is called, as I've been using an emailed version of it (written out on the computer from the book by my mother) since 2006!)

Vanilla Fudge
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of water
2 oz (quarter cup) butter
1 lb (2 cups) granulated sugar
Half pint (1 and one-third cups) full cream, unsweetened evaporated milk
Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
Method:
Butter a tin or pyrex dish.
Put the water and butter into a strong, large pan and allow the butter to
melt.
Add the sugar and milk and stir over a low heat until the sugar has
dissolved.
Add the vanilla.
Boil steadily, stirring fairly frequently until the mixture reaches 238 degrees F or forms a "soft ball" when tested in cold water.
Take off heat and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture turns cloudy.
(This means until thick and starting to granulate on the side of the pan.
It can take quite a while maybe 6-8 minutes)
Pour the mixture into the dish and allow to almost set.
Cut into squares before fully set.
Wrap to store or the fudge will go too hard.

To make chocolaty / peanut buttery I would stir in the chocolate / peanut butter once the mixture has reached the cloudy point.

I think I might make fudge tonight - I was already planning to make 3 types of cookie, so I may as well add some fudge to the mix!

If you want something really dark and chocolaty, you might want to look for recipes for "chocolate bark" which is much denser and BTW is delicious with some crushed peppermint candy on top.

http://www.christmas-cookies.com/rec...asy-fudge.html

The above is the original fantasy fudge recipe.

Thanks y'all. If I have time this afternoon, I may make some. Son is coming tomorrow and then we're off the NOLA until the 24th.

So what time should I leave LIT to be there to taste test for you?;)

The fudge recipe I was thinking of was the original Fantasy Fudge recipe.

The peanut butter/chocolate thing i was thinking of are called Yum Yum Bars.
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/cg1pq9nn...tter-yums.html

I haven't seen them readily available outside of the West Coast, but Guittard, "San Francisco's Secret Since 1868", makes very good baking chips. They seem to be the only company which makes white chocolate, green mint (non-chocolate mint chips are VERY hard to find), and butterscotch chips without hydrogenated oils and uses real vanilla as well as other non-GMO ingredients. The price is comparable to other brands. Wal-Mart has carried their products the past and they do some private label production for Trader Joe's and Publix.

Mom's Best Fudge

4 1/2 cups sugar
1 large can evaporated milk
3 bars German sweet chocolate
12 oz. semisweet chocolate morsels
18 large marshmallows, cut into small pieces (108 small ones are better)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar and milk, bring to a boil and boil exactly 4 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until chocolate and marshmallows are melted.

Pour into a buttered pan or shallow dish, about 16 x 8 inches in size and cool until firm.

Cut into squares and store in an airtight box or can.

I've made microwave fudge (chocolate, chocolate/peanut butter) a couple of times this year and it's worked out surprisingly well!

Ingredients:

• 16 oz semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate (I use the mini semi-sweet since I think they melt easily); I've also substituted part of this with peanut butter chips to make PB fudge and a friend has used peppermint extract and Andies mints for mint fudge
• 14 oz (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup butter

Microwave 1 minute, stir, repeat until smooth.
Poor into foil lined (I spray it with non-stick spray) pan.
Chill

I've also added marshmallows in and/or topped with more chocolate chips

Wow!

What a sweeping generalization!

I guess it just depends on your taste. I personally like the chocolates found in certain European countries, but consider most British candy to be overly sugary rubbish. Tastes differ.

Fudge recipe: whichever one you use, make sure you have a candy thermometer to get the sugar to the right temperature so the fudge will have the right texture. Undercooked fudge is more like chocolate soup.

I've been making candies and fudge for many years now, and the most popular fudge recipe is one on the back of the marshmallow fluff jar. If you want to make it more intensely chocolate, instead of using 12 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate, use 6 oz. semi--sweet and 8 oz. bittersweet.

A couple other things to note about that recipe:
it calls for the hard to find 5 oz. can of evaporated milk. Do not make the mistake of reading "can of evaporated milk" in the ingredients and putting in the large (12 oz.) can! If you do, you will have to get very, very creative very quickly. (yeah, I did that once). Pouring the evaporated milk from the large can into a measuring cup to get 5 oz. works well. ;)

The recipe suggests a 9x9 pan. This makes a very thick fudge. I prefer to use a 9x13 pan because I make 7 or 8 kinds of candy and shorter pieces of fudge fit better into the gift boxes.

It's common to add nuts to fudge, but don't be afraid to be more creative with the add-ins. I've used nuts, chopped peppermints, "white chocolate" bits, dried fruit, and chopped cookie bits.

Christmas Baking Thread
 

Do we have a general Christmas baking thread? If so I cannot find it.

Dough made and in the fridge for pinwheels, frosted sugar cookies, will bake those this week and the kids will decorate next weekend. Lace cookies made- some flat, some wrapped around a wooden dowel. Still need to do rumballs.

What's on your baking list?

Done: sugar cookies rolled in sprinkles

Half done: almond truffle filling made, in to chill

Next: Maple pecan shortbread, spritz cookies, chocolate fudge, mint stars

Less than usual this year because we'll be traveling


p.s. this is all gluten-free, of course!

I am planning on making this on Christmas Eve:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/f...aked-camembert

and later in the week will have a go at this one:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/ei..._plaited_57815

and this will be made at some point during the week (I am hoping it freezes well!):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/st...eoatcake_92371

(basically Christmas = time to bake breads and other fiddly things!)

I will also be making a trifle, mini mince pies with fondant icing stars (was going to make them this weekend until I hurt my back), cheese scones, and some other savoury nibbly bits. I did so many cookies and cakes last year when my English family were over for Christmas that I am all sweeted out (the mince pies are for the office, and the trifle is just a christmas necessity frankly!)