Gingerbread Fudge

For a really long time, I was never much of a Fudge kind of girl. It was for a number of reasons. It tasted too rich, there was no added texture, the chocolate flavor was too intense. I just thought it wasn’t for me.

As it turns out, I was wrong about that.

One of my favorite places to visit is Pier 39 in San Francisco. It’s a boardwalk/tourist attraction on the Embarcadero directly on the San Francisco Bay. There’s a store there called Trish’s Chocolates that has the largest selection of fudge I’ve ever seen. On my very first visit to Pier 39, I went with someone who does happen to be a fudge fan and so they bought some and offered me a piece to try.

I found out there and then, I actually DID like fudge, when it was made the right way, with the right texture and the right flavors.

I think fudge is one of those recipes that scare a lot of people, myself included. This is probably because it’s candy, and candy-making is a science that requires you get all the steps right in order to turn out.

The old-fashioned/conventional method requires fiddling around with candy thermometers, lots of time, stirring/patience and the like. But fortunately for us, there are now less conventional and easier ways to getting to delicious fudge.

Every year for the 12 Days of Christmas series on the blog, I try to include recipes that are extremely easy, to the point where I see them as ‘Fail-proof’ for even beginner bakers. No reason you shouldn’t be able to make some edible holiday cheer just because you don’t want to be stuck in a kitchen all day.

This is one of this year’s Fail-Proof recipes: Gingerbread Fudge.

There are some noticeable differences between this fudge and other conventional recipes. First, whereas most fudge is made with either dark or semisweet chocolate, this one is made with white. Dark brown sugar and molasses give it the rich, caramel-y sweetness that’s typically found in gingerbread recipes, along with the familiar selection of spices.

This whole recipe comes together in less than half an hour. All you have to do is melt everything down, stir it together, slap it in a pan, give it a good chill in the fridge, and BAM: you’ve got gingerbread fudge that’s smooth, spicy and makes for a great gift to share–if you’re so inclined.

Day 6: Gingerbread Fudge

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Gingerbread Fudge

Recipe Adapted from Crazy for Crust

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or emulsion
Holiday themed sprinkles

Directions

Line a 9×9 square baking pan with parchment paper, lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the white chocolate chips, dark brown sugar, molasses, evaporated milk and all the spices. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth.

Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Use a spatula to spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Top with the sprinkles.

Chill the fudge for at least one hour to set. (overnight is best) Keep stored in the fridge.