“They always gives me bath salts,” complained Nobby. “And bath soap and bubble bath and herbal bath lumps and tons of bath stuff and I can’t think why, ‘cos it’s not as if I hardly ever has a bath. You’d think they’d take the hint, wouldn’t you?”
~ Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
I’ve had so many requests for this festive fudge recipe from last year that I thought I’d repost it today.
This recipe is simple to make, even for beginners in the kitchen, and it tastes creamy and wonderful. The colours look very festive too. Even better, it only takes five minutes to whip up. Perfect for end-of-year gifts, sweet Christmas presents or for a tasty treat when friends drop by.
I must say that I’ve also been super-impressed with all of the photos of homemade Christmas Cakes that you’ve been sending to me too. Keep up that baking spirit!
Fudge Ingredients:
400g white chocolate, 40g butter, 1 x 395g tin of sweetened condensed milk, 1/3 cup shelled pistachio nuts, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1 cup macadamia nut pieces
*Note on chocolate – don’t use a super-cheap one as the fudge will turn out extra soft!
Method:
Use baking paper to line a 23cm (9 inch) square tin, which gives a thick slab of fudge, but don’t panic if you don’t have that sized tin – just use you whatever you have to hand.
Measure out your nuts and cranberries and mix them together in one bowl. Feel free to add a few more, or to eat a few. After all, it’s nearly Christmas!
Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Then break in your chocolate.
Tip the condensed milk into your saucepan and then allow it all to melt. Stir with a strong wooden spoon. The mixture will come together quickly so watch it carefully. Keep that heat low!
When it is pulling together in a shiny thick mixture add in the nuts and cranberries and stir through.
Quickly spoon the fudge into the paper-lined tin. If the mixture isn’t spreading well wet your hand and then use your wet hand to carefully push the mixture to the edges of the tin and to smooth the top.
Leave in fridge for a few hours to set. Can also be stored in the freezer. To serve, cut into small pieces.
If you live in Australia or anywhere else tropical (or if your central healing is turned up!), keep this fudge in the fridge or freezer, as it will become quite soft in warm weather.
If you’d like to try this fudge in other flavours click here for more ideas:
Enjoy!
Fudge fail 🙁 I decided to use a double boiler to keep the heat low and consistent, but it just didn’t come together. It’s in the fridge now, so I’ll see if it sets 🙁
Hi there Nicole! Love your site. I tried this today with fairly good results and here are some detailed comments: Firstly let me say I am no fudge expert, but I have had a lot of success with a somewhat similar dark chocolate recipe and I would make some changes here based on successes there. First I would start with the condensed milk first rather than adding it later in the game, and I would actually delete that butter that you start with – I think it makes it looser and softer and is not really necessary and may actually detract. (What happened for me was that my butter browned and the white chocolate started to scorch so I had to hurry up – the color changed but it did bring in a nice brown butter flavor but was not the pretty white color for which I was hoping.) I think I would also add about a half teaspoon of salt to balance all the sweetness in the white chocolate but I like a salty sweet thing myself. (No metaphor there! Ha!) Finally, I did lightly toast the nuts first to bring out their flavor some and that seems to have been a good move. I suggest less than 5 minutes in an oven 350 – 400 degrees. These nuts are very sensitive to heat. I am making packages with this brown butter white chocolate fudge and the dark chocolate salty pecan fudge and I think my recipients will be happy. Thank you!
Yum! These look so pretty! I am going to try them for sure.
Thank you for answering. I do have coconut milk dry in the house. Will try tomorrow.
I have a question as a beginner with fudge. Is it necessary to use condensed milk or are there any alternatives?
I saw condensed sweetened coconut milk yesterday and thought I might try that but to be honest I am not sure if other substitutes would work.
That is just a BEAUTIFUL fudge. I never buy white choc fudge but this is too pretty to pass up. Check out your other recipes that are more chocolate fudge and they look good too. I’m struggling with sugar right now so I may make it and not eat it but pass it on. 🙁