Easy Dark Chocolate and Walnut Fudge

I have been meaning to make this easy dark chocolate fudge recipe since the beginning of December. What was holding me back? While I am not your typical choco-holic, I do like fudge, and I feared for my waistline if I did make it. So, with evil, I mean graciousness in my heart, I waited until I had guests to enjoy it with me. This week's Golden Globe Awards seemed the perfect time to spring these delicious morsels on unsuspecting innocents. It worked! Everyone loved the fudge which is just creamy enough to feel decadent but not overly rich to make you feel queasy with remorse for eating more than one piece.

For my part, the ease and quickness of preparation made me just a tad smug. Fortunately for my guests, I'm an decent actress when it comes to appearing humble about what I cook. No one was the wiser!

I found this recipe back in late November when searching for recipes for Co-opportunity's December holiday guide and I wanted a "Quick and Easy" chocolate treat recipe. Yes, I make recommendations without trying a recipe when I can tell that it is going to work out - clearly I have cooking guardian angels who watch over me like a hawk!

Having read dozens of fudge recipes that, frankly, scared the bejaysus out of me with admonitions about temperature and removing from the heat at just the right moment, I was relieved to find a recipe that did not fiddle with candy thermometers; it was simply melted chocolate and a few other common ingredients. The trick here is the baking soda - don't know why it works or how this was discovered, but it does. I followed this recipe to the letter and it was perfect, setting in about an hour in the frig. Having limited baking ware, I used a round glass pie plate and it worked like a charm! I considered adding orange zest but feared my intended guests might not be as enamored of the orange-chocolate combination as I am. But that is a variation I would definitely try in the future!

Easy Dark Chocolate and Walnut Fudge
From The Hungry Mouse

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 14 oz can condensed sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Grease an 8-inch x 8-inch glass pan lightly (I used a round pie plate, it worked fine.) Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Press it down gently so it sticks. Set the pan aside.

Start an improvised double boiler. Put about 2 inches of water in a pan on the stove over high heat to get it boiling. Measure out your chocolate chips and put them in a large, heatproof bowl. Chop up the unsweetened chocolate into 1/4 inch pieces. Toss that into the bowl with the chocolate chips. Add the baking soda and the salt and stir to coat the chocolate and evenly distribute the salt and baking soda. (You don’t want to end up with clumps of them in your finished fudge.) Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and mix well, scraping it all out of the can. Add the vanilla extract and stir all to combine.

The water in the pot should be boiling by now. Turn heat down to low and place the bowl on top of the pot with the now simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water.) The mixture will begin to melt almost immediately. Stir until it melts completely, about 5-8 minutes, and then remove from heat. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Add nuts or any other additions and pour into prepared pan and smooth top if desired. Cool for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator then cut and serve or wrap in parchment paper for gifts.

Hugs!

Recipes currently inspiring me:

Champagne Mushroom Sauce at Simply Recipes
Broiled Sardines with Lemon and Thyme at Bitten
Turkey Roulade at Stacey Snacks