This Chocolate Cranberry Fudge is considered 'foolproof' since it uses marshmallows and evaporated milk.
The recipe is adapted from Cook's Country's 'Foolproof' Chocolate Fudge. Their recipes are usually unbeatable, but I decided to add the cranberries to give this a bit of Christmas flair. You don't have to - you can just up the nuts if you prefer.
I also added a bit of coffee to my chocolate flavouring because coffee is known to enhance the taste of chocolate.
I didn't try the recipe the way they made it, but I am sure the coffee addition has to elevate it a bit!
Adding marshmallows keeps the fudge a nice creamy texture and using brown sugar and evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk adds a depth of flavour.
Don't skimp on the step where you boil the brown sugar, evaporated milk and butter for 5-10 minutes. The boiling reduces the water content in the mixture and helps 'caramelise' the mixture. It won't taste like caramel, but the brown sugar depth of flavour will be enhanced.
If you have a candy thermometer- great. I used my Instant Read Thermometer to monitor the temperature. You are looking for 234-238 degrees, which took about 8 minutes of a steady boil in my pot.
Speaking of pots... I used a 'The Rock' saucepan (non-stick) and a silicone spatula and the mixture just slid out. Clean up was a breeze! The mixture is quite buttery, so I am not sure if it would stick to a regular pan or not.
Don't skip the step where you line your pan with a foil sling. That is where you lay a wide strip of foil across the pan, overhanging the sides by a couple of inches, both ways. Once the fudge solidifies, you can pull the square out of the pan quite easily and slice it nicely on a cutting board.
I used walnuts and dried cranberries, which turned out to be a nice combination. You could use pecans or even bits of crushed chocolate bar of your choice to suit your taste.
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Chocolate Cranberry Fudge
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Save Print Pin FacebookIngredients
- cooking spray
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- 3 cups light brown sugar
- 12 Tbsps unsalted butter cubed
- ⅔ cup evaporated milk not sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped roughly
- 1 tablespoon black coffee
- 3 cups miniature marshmallows
- ½ cup dried cranberries chopped
Instructions
- Spray and 8" square pan with cooking spray. Lay a wide piece of foil across the pan in both directions. Allow foil to fold over top edge of pan by a couple of inches.
- Toast walnut pieces in a dry saucepan over medium heat 7-8 minutes (or in the air fryer for 4-5 minutes). Pieces should be slightly browned and fragrant.
- Heat brown sugar in a large, preferably non-stick pan, over medium high heat. Add the butter and stir to combine. Add the evaporated milk. Bring mixture to a boil and boil steadily 5-10 minutes until mixture reaches 234-238 degrees. (Mine took 8 minutes). Stir frequently.
- Remove pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate and coffee. Stir until chocolate is evenly melted. Add the marshmallows and stir until the marshmallows are melted and evenly incorporated. Add the walnuts and the cranberries and stir well to distribute evenly.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to solidify.
- Remove from fridge and cut in to 1" squares.
- Fudge will keep well sealed and refrigerated for a couple of weeks.
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