Recipe

Walnut Fudge

Recipe Information

Total Time: 

3 hours; 1 hour active

Servings: 

64 1-inch pieces

Melt-in-your-mouth fudge is deceptively simple to make—but it does require careful temperature control to achieve that creamy, velvety texture. This fudge is studded with crunchy walnuts, and you can always substitute another nut, for variety.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 3 tablespoons corn syrup
  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 cup walnuts, toasted and broken

Equipment

  • Candy thermometer

Preparation

  1. Butter an 8x8-inch square pan, reserve. In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar, half and half, corn syrup and chocolate and place over medium-low heat. Stir gently, scraping the bottom of the pan until the chocolate is melted.
  2. Attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring the chocolate mixture to a boil. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture reaches 238 to 240ºF (but no higher than 240ºF). Do not stir after the mixture reaches this temperature. The heating process may take 20 minutes.
  3. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl; add the butter but do not stir. Let cool to 110ºF; it will take about an hour or more. Add the vanilla and salt and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture appears matte instead of glossy, and begins to thicken. This may take 10 minutes (it helps to have someone on hand to take turns beating). Stir in half of the nuts and scrape into the buttered pan, top with remaining nuts. Butter the palms of your hands and gently press the nuts into the fudge and the fudge into the pan. Let sit in a cool spot until firm, about an hour. Cut in 1-inch square pieces and store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Nutritional Information

70 calories, 2.5 g. fat, 5 mg. cholesterol, 5 mg. sodium, 11 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. fiber, 1 g. protein