Martha Stewart Easy Fudge Recipes

SIMPLE CHOCOLATE FUDGE

Steps:

• Butter an 8-inch square baking pan; line with 2 crisscrossed pieces of parchment paper, leaving an overhang. Butter paper.
• In a large saucepan, combine butter, marshmallows, sugar, cream, and salt; cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until marshmallows are melted, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in vanilla, chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup walnuts until chocolate is melted.
• Pour fudge into prepared pan, and smooth top; sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Let cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
• Using overhang, lift fudge onto a cutting board; cut into squares (6 rows by 6 rows).

VANILLA FUDGE

Steps:

• Butter an 8-inch square baking pan; line with parchment paper, allowing a 1-inch overhang. Butter parchment paper, and set aside. Check the calibration of the candy thermometer. Put butter into a large bowl, and set over a wire rack; set aside. Put cream, sugar, corn syrup, and salt into a medium heavy saucepan.
• Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Raise heat to medium. Bring mixture to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to preventsugar crystals from forming. Attach warm thermometer to pan; continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture registers 238 degrees (soft-ball stage), 10 to 15 minutes.
• Immediately pour mixture into bowl with butter (do not scrape out the bottom of the pan). Attach thermometer to bowl. Let mixture cool, undisturbed, until it registers 110 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove thermometer. Transfer bowl to a work surface and addvanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon, begin to gently stir mixture until it thickens, lightens in color, and loses its sheen,about 6 minutes.
• Pour into prepared pan. Using a small offset spatula, quickly spread fudge to sides of pan, and smooth top. Let fudge cool in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate untilcompletely set, about 8 hours. Run a sharp knife around nonparchment sides to loosen; lift fudge out. Cut into 64 one-inch pieces.

FOOLPROOF HOLIDAY FUDGE

Steps:

• Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with two sheets of waxed or parchment paper in a crisscross manner (one lengthwise, one crosswise) so ends overhang sides of pan; coat evenly with cooking spray.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, cook sugar, salt, butter, cream, and marshmallows, stirring, until butter and marshmallows are almostmelted, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Bring mixture to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally,5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chips and vanilla; stir until chips are melted. Pour mixture into lined pan.
• Let fudge cool in the pan at room temperature,3 hours. Use edges of paper to lift out fudge; place on cutting board, and remove paper. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, or cut fudge into bars. Sprinkle evenly with crushed candy.

MAKING FUDGE

Steps:

• Line 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with strips of waxed or parchment paper; coat evenly with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Combine sugar, salt, butter, cream, and marshmallows in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Set over medium heat; cook, stirring, until butter and marshmallows are almost melted, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Bring mixture to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. An adult should remove the pan from the heat.
• Add chocolate chips and vanilla to saucepan. Stir until chips are melted and combined. If you like, mix in 1/2 cup peppermints or nuts.
• An adult should pour hot fudge into the loaf pan. Top with remaining mints or nuts.
• Cool fudge in the pan, at room temperature, 3 hours. Grip paper, lift out fudge, and place on cutting board. Discard paper. An adult should cut fudge into squares. Pack in a box lined with waxed paper to avoid sticking.

EASY FUDGE BITES

Steps:

• Lightly spray a 9-by-9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Line with 2 crisscrossed pieces of parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Spray parchment. In a saucepan, combine butter, marshmallows, sugar, milk, and salt.
• Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until marshmallows have melted, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until melted. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Let cool 30 minutes, then refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
• Using overhang, lift fudge onto a cutting board; cut into 1-inch squares. With rubber-gloved hands, to prevent fudge from becoming too slippery and messy, roll into balls (if mixture is very cold, it may crumble a bit; just let it warm slightly first), then roll in desired toppings as you go. Refrigerate until firm, 1 hour. (To make ahead, place balls in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 3 days.)

EASY CHOCOLATE FUDGE WITH PRETZELS

Steps:

• Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
• Place butter, chocolate chips, condensed milk, vanilla, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until chocolate just melts and mixture is combined and warm but not hot, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups pretzels. Transfer mixture to pan and smooth top; press 1/2 cup pretzels on top. Refrigerate until set, 2 hours (or up to overnight, wrapped). Using parchment, lift fudge from pan and cut into 36 squares.

MARTHA STEWART'S HOT FUDGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in saucepan except for vanilla.
• Cook over med. heat.
• Stir until mixture boils.
• Set timer and boil for 3 minutes, stir occasionally
• (Don't boil for more than 3 minutes or it will become like fudge).
• Turn off heat and stir in vanilla.
• Store in refrigerator up to a week.
• Can reheat in microwave for a few seconds at a time or place in pan of hot water until sauce warms and thins.

MARTHA'S CHOCOLATE FUDGE

Steps:

• You will need a candy thermometer. Make your fudge on a dry day. Too much humidity will keep the fudge from setting up properly.
• Butter an 8-by-8-by-2-inch pan and place it in the fridge. Alternately, use a loaf pan if you want really thick pieces.
• Sift cocoa powder and sugar into a medium bowl.
• Prepare an ice bath. I use my sink, filling it with approximately 2" of water, then adding a bunch of ice.
• In a small saucepan, combine milk and cocoa-powder mixture with a wooden spoon until a sandy, paste like texture forms.
• Add chocolate, butter, and corn syrup.
• Cook on med-low heat (don't let it boil yet), stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved completely (very important), 7 to 10 minutes.
• Using a pastry brush dipped in cold water, wash down any sugar crystals that form along the sides of pan.
• Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, making sure the tip of the thermometer does not touch the bottom of the pan.
• Increase heat a bit until the fudge starts to boil. When the fudge begins to boil, stop stirring and don't stir AT ALL for the rest of the cooking time or the fudge will be grainy.
• Keep the syrup boiling, being careful that it doesn't boil over.
• When the candy thermometer registers 236°, remove the pan from heat, and place in ice bath for 5 seconds.
• Transfer pan to a heat-proof surface, and let sit until thermometer registers 110°, about 45 minutes.
• Add vanilla, and using a wooden spoon (or electric hand mixer), stir fudge briskly until it thickens and begins to lose its sheen, 2 to 3 minutes (it may take a little longer to set up. Depending on the humidity in the air, it could take as much as 10 minutes).
• Stir in walnuts, if desired.
• Spread fudge into prepared pan with wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 30-60 minutes. Cut into 1-inch squares.