Oh Fudge!

Few sweets are quite as welcoming to a novice baker or cook first entering the world of homemade candies as fudge. Don’t be scared off by recipes that call for boiling sugar to temperatures sounding comparable to the surface of the sun, or ingredient lists sourcing oddities such as evaporated milk; There’s truly an easier way! Sure, it may not be the traditional method, but who needs the hassle when instant gratification is knocking on your door? Not to mention the fact that it makes for excellent quick-fix gifts as well. Forget about that anniversary, date, or birthday? No problem, because this simple indulgence comes together in a snap.

Much less inspired than necessitated, the original purpose for creating this recipe was merely to use up some of the odds and ends slowly accumulating in my pantry. A handful of almonds, an ounce of pistachios, random scraps of half-melted chocolate bars, and not a single dish that they could create individually. Even combined, there simply wasn’t enough substance to cover the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan. Not one to waste, I knew that there must be some solution. Out of the depths of my baking supplies, I unearthed a forgotten package of little bonbon papers, and that cinched it – Fudge bites it was!

Since this recipe is all about using what you have, go ahead and try whatever you think might work; Combining multiple types of chocolates, nuts or “milks” as needed to use up any remnants. Get creative – Use unusual ingredients, try new combinations, use different shapes to mold them in! Anything goes with this uncomplicated fudge, so the most important tip I can give you is to have fun with it.

Fudge Bites

-4 Ounces Any Chocolate (Semi-Sweet, Bitter Sweet – Heck, even spiced Mexican chocolate tablets could work!
-1 Tablespoon Margarine
-2 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
-Up to 2 Tablespoons Any Non-Dairy Milk (Soy, Rice, Oat, Hemp, Almond…)
-Splash Any Extract (Vanilla, Almond, Peppermint, Orange…)
-1/4 – 1/2 Cup Any Nuts (Almonds, Pecans, Walnut, Pistachios…)

Begin by placing small bonbon papers into a mini-muffin pan so that your fudge bites retain their shape and don’t accidentally spill out. Put all of your chocolate into a microwave-safe dish along with the margarine and heat for about 1 minute. Stir it until you get a nice smooth mixture, reheating for bursts of 20 seconds at a time if necessary. Do take caution so as not to scorch your chocolate, because it’s a small amount and will burn rather quickly if given the chance.

Once completely smooth, slowly stir in the confectioner’s sugar, followed by the non-dairy milk. Only use enough liquid as needed to give you a pourable but viscous mixture. Depending on the humidity and your location, you may not even need any at all, so trust your intuition on this one. Finally, mix in your extract and nuts before pouring about a tablespoon of the fudge into each waiting bonbon paper. Let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours for it to set up and become firm. If you want to speed things along, you could probably let them chill in the fridge or freezer for the to solidify, but do not store them there!

Printable Recipe

Now that I’ve managed to clean out the pantry a bit… I think it’s time to go grocery shopping again!