Homemade Fudge

This Homemade Fudge recipe has been a special Christmastime tradition in our family for decades.

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This is my last and most special #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipe! My Christmas Punch and Cranberry Orange Bread are pretty amazing, but nothing tops my Grandmother’s famous homemade fudge recipe.  It was sometimes referred to as Aunt Ruthie’s fudge, occasionally Mrs. Pidacks’ fudge, and quite often Grammy’s fudge, but most often, it was known as “Mom’s Fudge.”  A laminated copy of the recipe in my grandmother’s handwriting has hung on my mother’s fridge for at least a decade.

Making homemade fudge isn’t hard.

It isn’t easy either.

It’s extremely precise.  The butter and sugar measurements have to be perfect and if the timing is off even a little bit the fudge won’t come out quite right.  I mean, chances are it will still be delicious, but my mom and aunts would know something wasn’t done quite right.

No one knows exactly when Grammy began making homemade fudge, but the general consensus among family is that this recipe has been in our family for at least the last 60 years.

Homemade Fudge Shopping List:

• granulated sugar
• evaporated milk
• peanut butter
• semi-sweet chocolate chips
• butter or margarine
• marshmallow fluff
• vanilla extract

You May Also Need:

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• measuring cup
• spoonula
• 9x13 baking pan
• measuring cups and spoons
• candy thermometer

For a list of some of my favorite items to use when cooking, and why I chose them, please visit my Kitchen Resource page.

How to Make Homemade Fudge

1. Lightly grease a 9×12 baking pan.
2. Measure out all the ingredients before starting.
3. Melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat.
4. Add the sugar and evaporated milk, then stir to combine.
5. Bring to a rolling boil for 8 minutes. When the temperature reaches 285-degrees F, remove it from the heat.
6. Quickly add the vanilla extract, peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, and chocolate chips.
7. Beat vigorously for 3 minutes.
8. Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and let set for 1 hour until completely set and cooled before cutting.

Homemade Fudge

Homemade Fudge Variations

Because we test all our recipes, we recommend that you make them once just as it is without substitutions or changes. Sometimes variations can go awry. Making our Homemade Fudge recipe as we have tested it will yield the best results. If you really want to get creative, here are some ideas for variations that might work well. (Please note, we have not tested these variations).

• Instead of using vanilla extract, use an equal amount of peppermint or orange extract. Liquor such as Bailey’s Irish Creme would also be delicious but you may need to play with the amount to get the flavoring right.
• If you enjoy peanut butter, you can scale back on the marshmallow fluff and use more peanut butter.  Crunchy peanut butter is a great way to add a little texture to homemade fudge also.

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