Christmas time means one thing. Eggnog. Well, maybe it means two things, the other being fudge. So why in the world do we not put those two things together and enjoy some eggnog fudge. I realize I am not the first person to do this. In fact, I stole the idea from Disneyland many years ago.

Come to think of it, perhaps Christmas means three things. You can’t forget gift giving! Every year, I make huge batches of candies and cookies, and other delectable desserts and give them out as gifts. It is just what I do. And because I am in the gift giving frame of mind, I figured I could give you some of my secret recipes so you can in turn give to others.
This recipe started as a basic vanilla fudge that I simply tweaked to give it the flavor of egg nog. Because yum.

The cast:
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup egg nog
10 ounces of white chocolate chips
7 ounces of mini marshmallows
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons bourbon (I usually use Makers Mark). You can also find bourbon flavoring at your grocery store. It is usually near the extracts.

First things first, grab your pan. You need a good rectangular or square pan. Mine is 8×8. Line the pan with parchment paper, allow it to over hang on the ends so you can lift the fudge out of the pan later.

In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat bring the sugar, butter,condensed milk, and egg nog to a boil, stirring constantly.
Place a candy thermometer into the pan and attach it to the sides. Continue to boil, stirring frequently until the thermometer reads 234. It takes about 25-30 minutes total.

Remove from heat, and take out the thermometer. Stir in the white chocolate. Then immediately the marshmallows. Do your best not to taste at this point. Boiling sugars burn. Ask me how I know. Finally mix in your salt, nutmeg, cloves, and bourbon.

Pour this beautiful mixture into your prepared pan to cool. When it is room temperature you can place it into the fridge. Cool it in the fridge for 4 hours. This will make it easier to cut into squares.

For an extra touch of elegance, top the fudge with a dark chocolate ganache. While your fudge is in its initial cooling stage, bring 1/2 cup heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in 8 ounces of dark chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate is melted. Wait about three minutes before pouring the chocolate onto the fudge. Then pour it, and smooth it out.
Let it sit for 10 minutes or so and you can sprinkle with sea salt, or fresh ground nutmeg for a garnish.
Then allow it to cool for four hours in the fridge before slicing.

 

-Stephanie Wright