Peppermint Fudge
One thing I look forward to every December is anything and everything peppermint flavor! My all-time favorite was always peppermint bark until I discovered something much much better... peppermint fudge!
The best part... this fudge is so easy to make and it can be used to make an ultra decadent homemade hot cocoa that is to die for! And who doesn't love something that can be multi-purpose, am I right?
Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 Cups Dark Chocolate Chips
1 & 1/2 Cups White Chocolate Chips
1 (14 oz) Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter at room temperature
1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract
4 Tbsp Crushed Peppermint Candies
1 Tbsp Mini Chocolate Chips (for decorating)
Instructions:
I made this fudge recipe in the microwave but it can also be done on the stovetop in a heavy bottom saucepan. *if you do stovetop keep your heat on very low and stir continuously until everything comes together and is melted evenly.
First, line your baking tin with parchment paper. For thicker fudge, you can use a loaf pan and for thinner fudge you can use a square baking tin.
Next add dark chocolate chips, half of your sweetened condensed milk (~7oz), and 2 tbsp of unsalted butter to a medium sized microwave safe glass bowl.
Mix everything together and microwave for 20 seconds, mixing throughly after each time in the microwave. *This only took me 2-3 rounds of 20 seconds each for both my dark and white chocolate.
The mixture will seem very thick, this is ok because we are making fudge and it's suppose to be thick, if we were just melting chocolate it would be a sign we burned the chocolate.
Once your dark chocolate fudge is smooth add in the peppermint extract and mix to combine.
Spread the dark chocolate layer evenly in your prepared tin that is lined with parchment paper.
Put the dark chocolate layer in the fridge to let it set while we finish the rest.
Take your peppermint candies and put them in a plastic bag. Using a rolling pin or even the bottom of a cup or jar, smash the candies until you get the size pieces you want. I like mine to be not too small because then they kind of disappear and you won't get those crunchy bits of peppermint which I love!
Next add white chocolate chips, the remaining 7oz of sweetened condensed milk and 2 tbsp of unsalted butter to a medium sized microwave safe glass bowl.
Mix everything together and microwave for 20 seconds, mixing throughly after each time in the microwave. *This only took me 2-3 rounds of 20 seconds each for both my dark and white chocolate.
Once everything has come together and is smooth, add 2 Tbsp of the crushed peppermint candies, and mix until it is all combined.
Grab your tin out of the fridge and spread the white chocolate layer evenly on top of the dark chocolate later.
Grab your remaining crushed peppermint candies and mini chocolate chips and sprinkle them generously over the top of your fudge.
Wrap the tin tightly with plastic wrap and leave your fudge to set for at least 2 hours before cutting it.
*NOTE: You can leave your fudge in the fridge to set, but I prefer to leave mine at room temperature for a few different reasons: 1. The peppermint candies that are sprinkled on top of the fudge will start to become sticky and chewy from the cold moisture in the fridge. SO, if you choose to store your fudge in the fridge, make sure you put it in an air-tight container which will help. And 2. I like to use my fudge to make hot cocoa and it is a lot easier to do that when the fudge is at room temperature!
Like I mentioned in the beginning, who doesn't love home make hot cocoa? It's so simple because you've already done all of the hard work! To make some delicious peppermint hot cocoa all you need to do is...
Warm the milk of your choice so its nice and steaming HOT. When you add a piece of fudge to the milk it will drop the temperature quite a bit and since fudge is thick it needs hot milk to help it melt.
Grab a mug, add a nice piece of peppermint fudge, and pour your hot milk over the top. Let it sit for 30 seconds before you start to stir.
The combination of the dark and white chocolate create a nice creamy and perfectly sweet hot cocoa!
Once your fudge has melted, top with whipped cream and some of those crushed peppermint candies and enjoy!