Homemade Chocolate Fudge

I am continuing with Holiday Appetizer Week. This time we are changing things up a bit. When it comes to bite size food, people usually forget about dessert. Granted most desserts are finger food, but not many are bite size. So I decided to make little bite sized squares of fudge. Fudge is the perfect bite sized finger food. It is small, rich and delicious. Just a little bit of fudge goes a long way. Thus, it is more bang for the buck. The perfect single bite to end an amazing meal.

Serve it in paper cupcake cups or just stacked on a plate.

Mixing and Cooking the Fudge

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, chocolate, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter, half-and-half, and corn syrup. I know it is a lot of sugar and it doesn’t appear brown, but don’t worry. It will end up being the most amazing fudge ever.

Over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Make sure that all of the sugar is dissolved. You do not want grainy fudge.

Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove the cover and attach a candy thermometer to the pot. Use any kitchen thermometer that you have that will read to around 234 degrees. I didn’t have a candy thermometer but I had a deep frying thermometer that hit that temperature.

Cook until the thermometer reads 234 degrees F. Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter. Do not stir. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or until it drops to 130 degrees F.

Finishing and Setting

After 10 minutes, add vanilla and nuts and mix until well-blended and the shiny texture becomes matte. You will see a noticeable change in the texture of the chocolate. Don’t worry, just keep stirring. Vanilla brings out the true flavors of chocolate. They sound like opposites but they complement each other perfectly.

Grease an 8 by 8-inch pan with butter. Pour into the prepared pan. Let sit in cool dry area until firm. I know what you are thinking but there should be enough fudge left in the pan and on the spatula to keep your cravings at bay. Cut into 1-inch pieces and serve.

If you want you can make this up to a week ahead of time as long as you store it in an airtight container. On a side note, that chocolate was boiling so wait a few minutes before licking the bowl clean. I may have burned my index finger and tongue. Ok, I burned the heck out of them, but it was well worth it. The fudge was amazing. Although it has been 4 days and I literally haven’t tasted anything since the fudge. Live and learn.

This is a great little dessert for a party or the perfect treat to leave out for Santa. He told me he loves fudge. After eating so many cookies, it is nice to have something a little different.

Homemade Chocolate Fudge

Alton Brown’s homemade chocolate fudge recipe. Rich, smooth, and creamy with a perfect soft-ball candy texture. Small batch that yields about 16 pieces. Perfect holiday gift or dessert.

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Prep Time 5 hours hrs

Cook Time 20 hours hrs

Total Time 1 day d 1 hour hr

Servings: 16 pieces

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 3 tablespoons butter plus more for greasing pan
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped roasted nuts optional

Method

 

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar, chocolate, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, half-and-half, and corn syrup.
2. Over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is completely dissolved and chocolate is melted. Ensure no graininess.
3. Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for 3 minutes.
5. Remove cover and attach a candy thermometer to the pot.
6. Cook uncovered until thermometer reads exactly 234°F (soft-ball stage). This takes about 10-15 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Do NOT stir—let it sink and melt on its own.
8. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes or until temperature drops to 130°F. Do not disturb.
9. After cooling, add vanilla and nuts. Stir until well-blended and the shiny texture becomes matte.
10. Grease an 8×8-inch pan with butter. Pour fudge into prepared pan.
11. Let sit in a cool, dry area until completely firm (several hours to overnight).
12. Cut into 1-inch pieces with a buttered knife. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Notes

This is Alton Brown’s famous recipe. The key to perfect fudge is reaching exactly 234°F on a candy thermometer — this is the soft-ball stage. Don’t skip the cooling period or stir during cooling, as this develops the characteristic texture. Vanilla is essential and complements the chocolate perfectly. You can use any roasted nuts — pecans and walnuts are classic choices. Equipment: Heavy-bottomed saucepan, wooden spoon, candy or deep-frying thermometer, 8×8 inch pan. Warning: The mixture will be extremely hot—wait several minutes before tasting or licking the spoon/bowl.