Christmas Fudge

It's just not Christmas at my house without making fudge! There is nothing easier than the fudge made with the marshmallow cream. But there are some improvements to the recipe to make it more flavorful, chocolatey, and good...something for your friends and family to remember...!

These are the characters of the recipe...

And you can always add to the lineup to make your fudge a little unique or different....

White chocolate chips to swirl in to make marbled fudge.

Godiva Chocolate Liquior

Toasted almonds or walnuts

Chopped dried cherries or apricots

You want to start with a large heavy pan. You are going to be cooking on high heat so you will also need a silicon spatula and a candy thermometer.

Chocolate Fudge

3 cups sugar

2 Tablespoons Karo light corn syrup (optional)

1 stick butter ( 8 Tablespoons)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream or half and half

1 teaspoon salt

2 packages Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

1 jar Marshmallow Cream

1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla

First you will chop your pecans...

and place them in a shallow pan...I use a round layer cake pan. Toast them in the oven at 350 degrees until lightly browned and fragrant.

In large heavy pot mix sugar, Karo, butter, and cream.

Cook over medium high heat stirring often until all the butter and sugar have melted. Insert candy thermometer stirring continuously until mixture registers the soft ball stage on your candy thermometer.

After reaching the soft ball stage take pot off the heat, remove the candy thermometer and add the chocolate chips and vanilla.

Stir until mixture is smooth and add the marshmallow cream.

Stir until marshmallow cream is incorporated and add the toasted pecans and give a few quick stirs.

At this point you can pour fudge in a 9 X 13 inch greased baking dish or I like to hand drop each piece onto wax paper coated with baking spray. I use two spoons to dip each piece and drop onto the waxed paper. Let the fudge set for at least two hours before cutting or eating.

Thanksgiving

So I did have good intentions...I planned on recipes ...photos ....and more for Thanksgiving. What I didn't plan was my hubby in the hospital for 4 days the week before Thanksgiving. So while I did get my lists on the blog...that was it....! I barely had enough time to shop and cook for my family!

The food turned out really good! After brining my free-range turkey in apple cider, kosher salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, juniper berries, rosemary, thyme, onion, and garlic. I stuffed it with oranges, lemons, and onion and roasted it in white wine and butter with plenty of poultry seasoning.

The dressing and gravy was so good with all that wonderful broth from the turkey...

We all had a good time visiting and playing with the grandbaby. It was a quieter Thanksgiving with not as many as we usually have for dinner. My parents and some friends were there for dinner. My son and his family were in South Carolina with his in-laws and my girls just came over to visit after eating dinner with their " significant other's" families.

There was plenty of food and lots of leftovers for everyone to take home.

So I will do more for Christmas with lots of baking so be sure to check back often.

Leah