Chocolate Fudge

Chocolate has gone from being the food of the gods to being a part of many of our lives today. Chocolate is used, of course, in baked goods and food items. It is used in spas and sometimes, even used on medical grounds. Chocolate has connoisseurs’ clubs and chocolate tours and workshops that teach you how to make specialized chocolate.

It has had a long history from being the bitter drink it used to be. The word chocolate came from Aztecs and has origins in the word ‘xocolatl’ or ‘cacahuatl’ which means a bitter drink. Chocolate has been around for centuries now with its first historical mention in 1100 BC.

The history of chocolate is just as myriad and varied as the uses of chocolate itself. The Spaniards introduced the world to the drink, after discovering the cacao bean in Africa, where it had its colonies. The beans were being used as a currency as well. That is how revered cacao beans were. Even today chocolate all over the world is manufactured from cocoa beans that are only grown in Africa.

Europe was the first to explore the different nuances of chocolate. Eventually each European nation found a niche in the chocolate industry that they specialized in. The Swiss created milk chocolate. Belgium created pralines or ballotins and even gave us couverture. Italy created delicious cocoa powder. It was also in Europe that the original ‘bitter drink’ was seasoned with milk, sugar and vanilla and made into a decadent drink.

Today chocolate is a huge favorite and an immensely popular confection. Chocolate consumption in the world is roughly $20 billion annually and rapidly rising. It is not just chocolate that is popular but all its baked forms too. Chocolate cakes, chocolate cup cakes, chocolate granola, chocolate fudge, chocolate brownies, you name it and it is available and is a best seller.

Chocolate fudge is another great dish that can be made from chocolate and you can prepare it at home. The chocolate fudge recipe is an easy recipe and different types of chocolate can be used to make chocolate fudge. Milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, all types of chocolate make delicious and creamy chocolate fudge.

An easy chocolate fudge recipe
2 cans condensed milk
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
200 grams butter
400 grams dark chocolate, the richer it is, the better the fudge will be

Place the condensed milk, sugar and butter in a pan.
Melt till all is blended well. The sugar should completely dissolve.
Add the chocolate, which should ideally be roughly chopped.
Keep stirring till the chocolate dissolves.
Pour into a prepared tin and refrigerate for a few hours.

You can add all kinds of flavors and textures to your chocolate fudge. You can add nuts, other candy like pepper mint or a mint chocolate, peanut butter, white chocolate like a glaze or just white chocolate chips, candied fruit like cherries, cranberries, raisins or desiccated coconut. Any addition is your creativity. The basic chocolate fudge recipe is like any basic recipe and can act as a canvass. You can add whatever you like to suit your needs. After all, neat homemade fudge in different variations can make a delicious party favor or a great Christmastime gift.

There is the old fashioned chocolate fudge that needs to be baked. The condensed milk version is still a new and quick way to make fudge. There is also an old fashioned way to make fudge.

You will need
1 cup sugar
A little over ½ cup milk
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon corn syrup
a small pinch of salt
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup walnuts (optional)

You will also need a candy thermometer and a wooden spoon.

In a pan, combine the sugar, milk, chocolate, salt and corn syrup. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and chocolate has melted.

When the mixture reached 234 degrees on the thermometer, remove the mixture from the heat.

Now add the butter and let the mixture cool by over a 100 degrees.

Add the vanilla extract and beat the mixture till it turns glossy.

Stir in the nuts, if you are adding them and spread this mixture in a greased pan. Cool at room temperature.

Chocolate fudge cake with chocolate fudge frosting can also be a decadent experience for sure. The chocolate fudge cake with the chocolate fudge frosting marries the love of fudge with the ease of a cake.

Here is a cake recipe for a chocolate fudge cake.
350 grams or 1 ½ cups butter
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups cake flour
5 tablespoons heaped, cocoa
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Beat the butter and the sugar till it is light and fluffy. If you are doing this by hand, it will take a good amount of elbow grease.

Add one egg at a time and mix till the egg is completely incorporated. Add the vanilla.

Sift and mix all the dry ingredients together.

Add the dry ingredients and the milk, alternately.

For the rich icing, you need
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup cocoa
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter
½ cup evaporated milk or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, cocoa and salt and whisk to combine.

Add the butter to this mixture and heat it.

Add the milk or cream and bring to a gentle boil. It will be a rich brown sauce now.

As it thickens, take it off the heat and add the vanilla.

It will thicken to spreadable consistency as it cools.

You can spread it in between layers of the cake and coat the cake on the outside too.

This is an example of how rich a cake can get when you add chocolate to its frosting and to the cake. A decadent chocolate fudge cake with a luscious chocolate fudge frosting! Chocolate brownies, chocolate fudge pie and chocolate fudge candy are other popular forms of chocolate fudge where the basic recipe of fudge is adapted to other baked goodies.

Submitted on January 16, 2014