Nog Your Average Fudge

No two ways about it, I love eggnog.  Nearly every year I make eggnog, cinnamon swirl scones, which are absolutely fabulous.  But this year I wanted to try something new.  The problem was I couldn’t seem to decide what it would be.  Eggnog cupcakes with nutmeg buttercream?  Eggnog pancakes with spicy syrup?  Eggnog custard pie?  They all sound amazing, I know.  In the end, though, I decided on eggnog fudge.  It was definitely the right decision.  Sweet, creamy, spicy, eggnogy, fudge. 

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• 2 cups sugar
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon mace
• ¾ cup eggnog
• 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 

The first thing you need to do is butter a glass baking dish and set it atop hot pads or a kitchen towel. 

Now pour your sugar into a large saucepan and add the spices.  I realize not everyone has mace on hand (although you should.  It’s a fabulous topping for vanilla ice cream), but you can just use ½ teaspoon nutmeg.  I highly recommend freshly grating your own, though. 

Stir that together and pour in the eggnog. 

Stir until it looks like this, then add the corn syrup.  Ordinarily I steer clear of corn syrup, but it has a more delicate flavor than brown rice syrup, so I chose it for this fudge variety.

Stir constantly until it comes to a boil, then place the lid or for 3 minutes. 

During that time, wash your spoon or get a clean one out, and get a little dish of ice cold water.  When you remove the lid it will look more like this. 

It’s time to start testing for temperature.  I don’t do candy thermometers, so just drop a little bit into the cold water. 

When the syrup has reached the right temperature, you should be able to form it into a soft ball that will mostly hold its shape but gives easily between your fingers. 

Carefully pour the hot syrup into your prepared pan.  Don’t scrape the saucepan, just allow what syrup will, to run out.   

Now it needs to cool for a while so go sit down, unless like me, your seat has been taken by someone else. 

You want the temperature to get to the point that you can comfortably hold your hand on the bottom of the pan.  Mine took about 30 minutes to get there.  During that time, butter a small pan and line it with parchment.  I used a loaf pan. 

Set that aside, and when the syrup has reached the proper temperature, it’s time to start stirring.  Oh, but first you need to add the vanilla.  I used ½ teaspoon of two different kinds.  The vanilla bean paste because it has all those little seeds which will make pretty little specks in the fudge, and the second because I really love this Mexican vanilla. 

Ok, now we’ll start the stirring.  Wooden or bamboo spatulas were made for this job.  Well, at least they were in my world.  Gently scrape the mixture in from the sides. 

Slowly, the butter and vanilla will work themselves into the mixture.  It should be nice and smooth and syrupy. 

Just keep moving it around.  Scrape, drizzle, stir, etc.  Eventually, you’ll notice it’s becoming more opaque.  It’s still very runny, though.  So keep going. 

Oh, this is looking promising.  The mixture it starting to hold its shape in the pan.  Definitely a good sign. 

You’re getting close, but it’s still running in ribbons, so you're not quite there. 

Yes!  It has successfully fudgified!!  See how the strands no longer run, they just break?  That's perfect. 

Now quickly glop it into your pan and smooth it out as best as you can.

Fudge is best after resting for at least a few hours and even better if you can manage to leave it overnight.  Then cut it into small squares because it’s very rich.  Not that it will really stop you from eating enough to make yourself sick anyway. 

What would you like to see made with eggnog? 

Intoxicatingly Indulgent Fudge

Pistachios are one of my favorite things, so when it comes time to think of something green to make for St. Patrick’s Day, they are always at the top of my list of ingredients.  This year, I decided to put them in fudge, but not just any fudge.  Bailey’s Irish Cream fudge.  What other kind of fudge would you make for St. Patrick’s Day, after all? 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 Tablespoons brown rice syrup (or corn syrup)
• ⅓ cup cream
• ⅓ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• Pistachios

Before you start cooking, butter a pan and set it atop a kitchen towel, then drop in 4 Tablespoons butter.

In a 3 quart or larger saucepan, place your sugar and syrup. 

Measure out the cream, Bailey’s, and water, then pour that over the sugar. 

Stir everything together over low heat. 

When the sugar is mostly dissolved, increase the heat to medium and continue to stir constantly until the mixture comes to a full boil.  Pop on a lid for 2 minutes. 

During that time, get a clean spoon or thoroughly wash the one you’ve been using, and get a small dish of ice cold water.  When you remove the lid, scoop a small amount into the spoon and allow it to drip into the cold water. 

When you’ve reached the right temperature, the mixture will easily come together into a ball that will just hold its shape, but is very pliable still.  If it’s not there yet, allow it to continue boiling, checking it again every minute or so. 

Turn off the heat and pour the hot mixture over the butter in the prepared pan.  This mixture is extremely hot so be very careful.  

While that’s cooling, line a smaller pan with parchment and set it aside. 

After that, it’s time to work on your nuts.  Break the pistachios out of their shells and remove any loose skin.  It just covers the pretty green color. 

When your mixture has cooled to the point that you can comfortably hold your hand on the bottom of the pan, it’s time to start stirring.  A wooden spatula is the perfect tool for this job.  Start on one side and begin scraping the edges into the middle. 

It’ll look like a broken mess at first, but eventually all the butter will be incorporated. 

Continue scraping and stirring.  As you do, the mixture will begin to become opaque.  But at this point, it’s still running in ribbons like a thick syrup. 

Keep stirring.  See it becoming more opaque?

Just a bit more, and when you see the texture start to change it will become less sticky and blob like and will start to hold its shape somewhat. 

It’s time for your nuts.  Sprinkle on about ⅔ of them. 

Stir them in and spread the mixture into the parchment lined pan. 

Sprinkle on the rest of your nuts and press on them lightly with your palm. 

My reason for making this fudge was really just because I thought it would be cute for St. Patrick’s Day.  I was surprised by how amazingly delicious it is.  It’s one of the best flavors of fudge I’ve ever tasted.  Definitely worth the trip to the liquor store, especially if you can get your hubby to go for you. 

What’s your favorite green food?