Whenever I’m on vacation and there is a candy shop nearby, I like to buy some local fudge. I don’t make fudge often at home (probably because I’d eat it all), but I love it as a special treat! Over Thanksgiving, Matt & I took the kids to Great Wolf Lodge indoor waterpark and I hit the sweet shop for some treats. OMG, they had the most amazing fudge! Our favorite flavor was a dark chocolate spicy fudge. It was smooth and creamy with just a touch of heat at the finish. For Valentine’s Day, Matt requested that I buy him “some type of spicy dark chocolate”, so I decided to try my hand at making my own Chili Chocolate Fudge!
I modified the popular marshmallow fluff fudge recipe in order to create this fudge. It turned out perfectly! This fudge isn’t overly spicy (to our standards) so if you like a stronger finish you’ll want to add a bit more spice. If you like just a touch of heat after the chocolate has melted in your mouth, then you will love this!
Spicy Chili Dark Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2/3 cup evaporated milk
- 3 T butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Lightly grease or line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Set aside.
- Combine marshmallow fluff, sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in a large saucepan over medium (to medium-high) heat. Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Cook until temperature reaches 225• or about 6 minutes.
- Remove from heat and mix in semisweet chocolate chips stirring until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Stir in chili powder, cayenne pepper, and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan and allow to set. Cut when firm yet warm, wiping knife off after each cut. (Refrigeration will cause fudge to set up more quickly but may also cause fudge to crumble when cut.)
https://www.homestoriesatoz.com/recipes/chili-chocolate-fudge-recipe-spicy.html
This recipe works best if you take the time to get all of your ingredients ready to pour in beforehand. Honestly, I find that ALL of my recipes turn out better when I pretend I’m on a cooking show and get everything pour and sprinkle ready beforehand! Fudge is easy to make but it can also be tricky. If it’s not cooked properly it can turn out too soft, too crumbly, or my least favorite–grainy. This recipe is fairly foolproof. If you use a candy thermometer and stir it constantly, it should turn out perfectly.
Cook your fudge to “soft ball stage” which happens at around 235•F. If you don’t own a candy thermometer, cook your fudge at a rolling boil for around 6 minutes. Don’t forget to stir, stir, stir!
Remove the mixture from the stove and immediately add your chocolate chips and spices. Move quickly! It will start setting up immediately so don’t dawdle. Thoroughly mix in your spices and pour the fudge into your prepared pan.
At this point you can pop the fudge into the refrigerator for about an hour, or you can just be patient and allow it to cool on the counter. If you cool your fudge until it hardens in the refrigerator, the butter will harden and your fudge will be crumbly. When cutting your fudge, use a long butcher’s knife and wipe off the blade after each pass. This will help ensure that your fudge squares look beautiful.
Oh yum. Enjoy the deliciousness! This recipe makes about 3 pounds of fudge which is a LOT of fudge. Yikes! I’m going to need Matt to take his gift of fudge with him to work, so I don’t eat it all. Store your fudge wrapped in plastic wrap in an air tight container to keep it from drying out. You can also freeze any extras by placing them in an air-tight container.
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FAQs
Tips for Making Fudge
- Monitor the Temperature with a Candy Thermometer. If you end up with soft fudge that turns into a puddle in your hands or hard fudge that is a bit reminiscent of a crunchy candy, improper temperature is likely to blame. ...
- Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer. ...
- Beat Thoroughly.
After letting the fudge cool, it's time to beat it. It is important to stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken and its surface starts to look dull or matte. Now is the time to stop beating and pour the fudge into a mould.
What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›
Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.
What makes high quality fudge? ›
You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).
What not to do when making fudge? ›
Only beat your fudge after it's cooled One of the mistakes people make with fudge is beating it too prematurely or over-beating it. If you start mixing the fudge shortly after it has crystallized, you'll find that the texture is grainy rather than silky smooth.
Should you stir fudge while it's cooking? ›
Don't stir!
Once the fudge reaches soft-ball stage on the candy thermometer, remove from the heat and let the temperature drop to 110°F. Keep that spoon or spatula out of the pot until this happens. If you stir too early in the process, you'll make the sugar crystals too big and end up with grainy fudge.
What happens if you over stir fudge? ›
Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has come to a boil, do not stir it. If you do, the sugar can crystallize, giving your fudge a gritty texture.
What to do with failed fudge? ›
My advice to you is to just pour it in a jar, call it something else delicious, and pretend you meant for it to be that way. The nice thing about my “failed” fudge is that it tastes absolutely delicious! A spoonful of the delectable treat will make you want for more.
How long do you let fudge cool before beating? ›
Fudge 102 – newb's guide to getting started
- about 18 min to reach boiling.
- about 40 minutes to reach soft ball stage.
- 60 minutes to cool.
- 28 minutes to beat in a KitchenAid (your time for this may vary)
- 4 hours to set.
Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture. Pay attention to the timetable specified in the recipe, and you'll get the hang of it after a batch or two.
OPTION 3) Sieve together some powdered sugar and cocoa powder, and gradually work this into your unset fudge until it reaches the consistency of dough, then roll out and cut into squares, or shape into balls and then roll in powdered sugar (roll the balls in icing sugar, not yourself).
What should fudge look like after beating? ›
The fudge is then beaten as this makes the fudge slightly crumbly rather than chewy. Beating the mixture encourages the formation of small sugar crystals, which leads to the crumbly texture. The crystals may not be noticeable in themselves but the fudge mixture will thicken and turn from shiny to matte in appearance.
Where is the world's best fudge? ›
While fudge was not invented on Mackinac Island, it most certainly – and most deliciously – was perfected here.
What's the difference between fudge and chocolate fudge? ›
Although fudge often contains chocolate, fudge is not the same as chocolate. Chocolate is a mix of cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sometimes sugar and other flavorings and is hard and brittle. Fudge is a mixture of sugar, dairy and flavorings that is cooked and cooled to form a smooth, semi-soft confection.
What is the softball test when making fudge? ›
making of fudge
termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers.
What gives fudge its firm texture? ›
The key to creamy, luscious fudge is controlling crystal formation. If the sucrose (table sugar) crystals are small, the fudge will feel creamy and smooth on your tongue. But if the crystals are large, the fudge develops a crumbly, dry, or even coarse texture.
What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›
Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!
What keeps fudge from getting hard? ›
If fudge is left unwrapped or accidentally put in a cold area/refrigerator then the result can be hard fudge. It is possible (but not guaranteed) to reverse this process by wrapping up your fudge in several layers of clear wrap. This allows the moisture to re-permeate into the fudge & make it soft again.
Can you overbeat fudge? ›
Beating the cooled batter is one of the crucial steps of fudge-making, but overbeating can turn fudge hard as a rock. Pay close attention to the change in appearance and only beat the fudge until it loses its glossy sheen.
