Chocolate Pecan Fudge

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Whenever I taste fudge, memories of family vacations to Mackinac Island come flooding back.

Mackinac Island is a very, very small island in northern Michigan. The perimeter of the island is only 9 miles. And on this tiny little island are over a dozen fudge shops.

Fun fact: Mackinac Island has the most fudge shops per square mile in the entire world! (I’m actually not sure if that’s true, but it probably is.)

Each fudge shop has different flavors and different methods for making the fudge, but they all have one thing in common: creamy fudge that melts in your mouth.

That’s the standard all fudge should live up to. And that’s the standard I expect my fudge to meet.

I’ve been making fudge with my Yia Yia and mom for years. And honestly, this recipe is probably one of the easiest recipes on my blog. The trick is to work quickly and make sure it doesn’t cool before you pour it. Also, the secret ingredient is marshmallow cream. I’ve tried making fudge without marshmallow cream, and it just doesn’t turn out right.

You can also try mixing things up by substituting chocolate chips for butterscotch and pouring caramel in the center to make turtle fudge!

Chocolate Pecan Fudge

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup Challenge butter
• 1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

 Directions

1. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil. Let the edges of the aluminum foil extend over the sides so the fudge is easy to life out later. Set the pan to the side.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan. Add sugar and evaporated milk and bring to a boil on medium heat. Once the mixture reaches a full rolling boil, stir constantly for five minutes.
3. Remove saucepan from heat, add chocolate chips, and stir. Once the chocolate chips have melted, add the marshmallow cream and stir until combined. Then add the vanilla and the pecans.
4. Pour the fudge into the pan and spread the mixture until it’s evenly distributed. Let the fudge cool for about 4 hours before lifting it out of the pan and cutting it into squares.

For years, I thought this was my grandma's secret recipe, but it turns out that it was adapted from the Fantasy Fudge recipe by Kraft.

Creamy Chocolate Fudge

You know what makes for a great gift during the holidays? FOOD! When you give someone the gift of food, you don’t have to worry if it’s the right color or the right size – delicious food is universal; one size fits all, if you will ;)

This chocolate fudge is an easy way to treat someone with a sweet tooth! It’s so creamy that it melts in your mouth. And it makes a great gift because it’s durable enough to ship across the country and it stays fresh for several weeks.

Yia Yia always makes fudge around the holidays, so now my mom and I make it too! I always thought this was Yia Yia’s secret recipe, but as it turns out, it’s very similar to a recipe from Kraft. Regardless, this recipe holds a special place in my family’s heart, and I guarantee your family will love it too!

Creamy chocolate fudge

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 can evaporated milk, 5 ounces
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil, and let the edges of the aluminum foil extend over the sides. Set the pan to the side. (The purpose of this is so it is easy to remove the fudge once it has set.)

Combine butter, sugar, and evaporated milk in a large saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat. Once the mixture reaches a full rolling boil, stir it constantly for five minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat and add chocolate chips. Once the chocolate chips have melted, add the marshmallow cream and stir until combined. Then add the vanilla and the walnuts.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the 9x13 pan and spread the mixture until it’s evenly distributed in the pan. Let the fudge cool for about 4 hours before lifting it out of the pan and cutting it into squares.

Impossibly Easy Peppermint Fudge

I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say this peppermint fudge is impossibly easy. How do I know it qualifies as impossibly easy? Well let me tell you a little story about my dad...

The last time my dad prepared something in the kitchen was approximately 27 years ago when my parents were first dating. He decided to make spaghetti. Easy enough right? Well somehow he managed to defy the laws of gravity, and the spaghetti sauce ended up all over the walls.

So yesterday when my dad decided he wanted fudge and my mom said she wasn't going to make it, he decided to take matters into his own hands. 

My mom and I watched as he started the double boiler and combined two of the three necessary ingredients. He carefully stirred the concoction as he waited for the chocolate chips to melt, and then he quickly poured the chocolate into the pan and spread it with a spatula. He finished it off with the third and final ingredient - a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy. And the best part was that no fudge ended up on the walls!

And that is how I know this fudge is impossibly easy.

Impossibly Easy Peppermint Fudge

Yield: About 42 pieces

Calories: 68 calories per piece

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 candy canes, crushed (or 9 peppermint candies)

Directions

1. Line an 8 x 8 pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray
2. Combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a double boiler and heat over low to medium heat. Stir frequently until the chocolate chips have melted (about 5 minutes).
3. Pour the chocolate into the pan and use a spatula to smooth the surface.
4. Acting quickly, sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies on top of the fudge.
5. Refrigerate the fudge for at least two hours. Cut into small squares and serve.

Recipe adapted from the Pioneer Woman.

Smoothing out the surface of the fudge

Almost finished!

Sprinkling the peppermint candies

The beautiful fudge

Looking very festive

My favorite type of mountain is a fudge mountain