Egg Nog Fudge

I know you all were probably expecting an Apple Toffee Blondie post, but I HAD to do this one first. I'm just THAT excited about.

Not sure how many of you will recall a few months back when I mentioned I had attempted a fudge recipe. Sadly, it never made it to the blog. I gave it my best TWICE to nail the Maple Pumpkin fudge and all I ended up with was a brick of fudge you couldn’t cut into followed by a glop of fudge that didn’t even harden. It was a culinary disaster. I felt defeated. SO defeated that I had put off trying another recipe for fear of massive failure.

 
Until Christmas Eve.

 I had some leftover eggnog from the cupcakes I did last week that I didn’t want to waste, so when I stumbled on this fudge recipe, I decided to put on my big girl panties and try again.

The result? Redemption!! Sweet Redemption!

Despite all my fears, this eggnog fudge was such a success.  It came out with the perfect texture and consistency. The melt in your mouth kind of creamy. Not to mention, it’s egg nog on CRACK. The stuff is so addictive because it’s full of the eggnog flavor without being overly sweet like fudge often can be.  Like I have said before, I’m not a huge fan of drinking eggnog, but baking with it really does bring out the best it has to offer.

The recipe is super simple and don’t skimp on the rum extract. It really reminds you of that old fashioned flavor eggnog has. I didn’t have a candy thermometer on hand (I broke mine IN the fudge I botched the first time) but I did use a digital screen thermometer to gauge the temp. It worked beautifully.  My dad, who happens to be a very good fudge maker, advised once it starts to boil, wait about 5 minutes, while stirring constantly, and it should be ready. Good advice, Pops.

Eggnog Fudge

(recipe from Brown Eyed Baker)

2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup eggnog
Pinch of salt
10½ ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus a little more for dusting the top of the fudge
One 7-ounce jar marshmallow crème (not fluff, CRÈME!)
1 teaspoon rum extract



The How To:

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper and let it hang over the side; set aside. (I didn’t have parchment paper on hand, so I sprayed the pan with nonstick spray. It still turned out well!)

2. In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, eggnog and salt over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 8 to 10 minutes, until a candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. (I didn’t boil 8 to 10 minutes. I let it boil for about 5-6 minutes while I was stirring and then checked the temp with a digital thermometer. It was done in about 6 minutes or so. This could vary depending on your stove top.)

3. Using a wooden spoon, work quickly to stir in chopped white chocolate and nutmeg until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in marshmallow crème and rum extract. Beat until well blended and then pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle a little ground nutmeg on top. Let stand at room temperature until cooled, then refrigerate overnight until firm.

4. When completely cool, cut into squares. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.


Makes about 64 pieces, depending on how generous you are with cutting. J

I am SO proud of this fudge! Wooo!

I can officially say I will no longer be afraid to make fudge. This opens up a huge door of possibilities. Anyone have some great fudge recipes they’d like to share?