I love when I get requests!  

Okay...maybe this wasn't exactly a request but a friend of mine did ask if I had a good fudge recipe and I figured I might as well run with it.  

I am, surprisingly, not a huge fan of fudge.  I know that is bizarre coming from me but it's true nonetheless.  I like fudge but I just don't go crazy for it.  It's not something I make regularly.  My mom is the fudge maker in the family.  She usually makes it for the holidays.  Her favorite recipe is Fantasy Fudge which comes from the back of a jar of marshmallow cream.  I didn't want to use this recipe because the marshmallow makes it really hard to stir.  

A couple of years ago, Ella had a cooking birthday party.  It was a blast!  My best party idea, ever!  I asked everyone to send me a recipe and then I compiled them into a little cookbook to give our guests.  One of the recipes we got, from one of Ella's good friends, was for fudge.  I decided to give it a try.  It is from Cooks' Illustrated and is pretty simple to make.  

I like it for a couple of reasons.  First, it doesn't require any weird ingredients.  Most of them I already had in my pantry.  Although it does have a "secret" ingredient: baking soda. This apparently makes the fudge firmer and drier.  Second, it wasn't overly sweet.  I think that because it wasn't so sweet, it really highlighted the chocolate.  If you make this, be sure to get the best quality chocolate you can get.  Since the chocolate is so prominent you want to make sure you like the chocolate you use.

One thing I didn't like about it is that it wasn't as creamy as I would have liked.  I suspect that has more to do with me than the recipe, but I'm not sure.  The recipe calls to mix together the chocolate and sweetened condensed milk before melting the chocolate but I wonder if it would be creamier if you started to melt the chocolate first.  When I mixed it together, the chocolate didn't melt smoothly and wasn't all shiny like regular chocolate and at times it looked grainy.   I just couldn't tell if it was melting properly.  You definitely don't want grainy chocolate as it is a sure sign the chocolate is seizing up and will soon be inedible. 

Although, I think I might like Fantasy Fudge better (only because of it's creamier texture -- not necessarily because of the taste) I would definitely make this again.  It was really easy and has a nice rich, chocolate flavor.  Plus, I didn't have to go to the store for marshmallow cream.  Next time I do want to try melting the chocolate a bit first to see if that makes a difference in the texture.  

All in all, I'd give this four stars out five.  It really did taste good.  I really liked the flavor and if you are someone who doesn't mind the less than creamy texture, you might even give five stars,  Try it yourself and let me know what you think!

15-Minute Chocolate Walnut Fudge

Note:  I skipped the walnuts.  My kids won't eat things with nuts.  Normally, I like things nut-less (like chocolate chip cookies and brownies) but fudge is the one thing I prefer with nuts.  I would definitely add them next time!

16 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped fin
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 


Line 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing extra foil to hang over edges of pan. Lightly coat with vegetable oil spray.

Toss chocolates, baking soda and salt in medium heatproof bowl until baking soda is evenly distributed. Stir in condensed milk and vanilla. Set bowl over 4-qt. saucepan containing 2 cups simmering water (or double boiler). Stir with rubber spatula until chocolate is almost fully melted and a few small pieces remain, 2 to 4 minutes.(Make sure to remove fudge because if it stays in the double boiler too long, it's possible that the chocolate will separate producing a greasy fudge.)

Remove bowl from the heat and continue to stir until the chocolate is fully melted and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in the walnuts. Transfer the fudge to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer with a spatula. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Remove from the baking pan by lifting the foil extensions. Cut into squares. 

Fudge can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in a cool place up to 2 weeks or frozen up to 3 months. This fudge will change texture and become drier the longer it is stored. If freezing, do not cut the fudge into squares; thaw at room temp, then cut.