Magic Chocolate French Fudge

I may or may not have mentioned that I have a sweet tooth… I probably did. In any case, it’s a fact, albeit often an inconvenient one. Still, dessert is the spice of life.

I know that I definitely have not yet mentioned another inconvenient fact: of the 55 or so antique cookbooks my mother-in-law gifted to me, a large group of them are devoted solely to desserts (cakes, pies, candies, chocolate, frozen treats, variety books), plus several of the others that primarily focus on entrees (like the ethnic cookbooks) ALSO feature entries for dessert recipes. Given this very sweet but very dismal outlook for our diet, I’m stymied as to continue on this blog adventure without this project deteriorating into just dessert after dessert. However, that is the sweet and silky cross I must bear.

In the meantime, it’s almost Valentine’s Day! If you’re looking for a sweet treat to make for a special someone, look no further. This recipe comes from a cookbook audaciously calling itself The Dessert Lovers' Handbook, and is devoted solely to recipes that include sweetened condensed milk as an ingredient.

Magic Chocolate French Fudge

I’m not really sure what makes this French… and I’m not really sure about the “magic,” either, except maybe that it refers to how easy this is (this fudge doesn’t require a candy thermometer).

3 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Pinch of salt

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

½ C ground nuts OPTIONAL

Since I’m not a huge fan of nuts, especially in desserts, I opted out on this one (although I did add something special on top for my sweetie).

Melt chocolate, stirring occasionally. Most recipes recommend using a double boiler, but I’ve kind of given up on that. Melting works just find in a small saucepan, as long as you keep an eye on what’s happening, and it means you don’t have to worry about steam sneaking in and breaking your chocolate. Remove from heat. Add milk, salt, vanilla, and nuts if used. Stir only until smooth and incorporated. Turn into wax paper-lined 8-in. square pan. Spread fudge evenly and smooth surface. This is, of course, easier said than done. Unless you tape down your paper, it’s going to shift, and the fudge is so thick it will be difficult to spread. But, since one of the appeals of homemade candy is that it looks rustic, I wouldn’t sweat it if I were you. 

Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Turn candy out onto cutting board. Peel off paper. With a sharp knife, cut fudge into serving-sized pieces. Store in airtight container.

If you want to make mocha fudge, the recipe recommends omitting the vanilla and substituting in 1 ½ tbsp dry instant coffee. For my own personal variation, I sprinkled the top with crushed mint candies.

There it is. Nothing special, but there’s something pleasant about the smooth simplicity of chocolate fudge. With that ratio of chocolate to milk, this is definitely rich – I recommend one piece per serving – that way it lasts longer, and you won’t feel overwhelmed! As I said above, I have a lot of books with dessert recipes, so at some point in the future we will do more fudge, but I think this is enough for one sweet holiday.

Have a question or a request? Put it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to respond. Fröhe essen!