Quick and Easy Homemade Fudge and White Chocolate Cashew Fudge

The following post is #sponsored by McCormick through Business2Bloggers. I received compensation for the products used in the #McCormickBaking Vanilla Fudge with Almonds* recipe.

 

Just in time for the holidays… Fudge! Vanilla Fudge with Cashews & Chocolate Fudge with Walnuts or Pecans.

Ingredients Vanilla Fudge with Cashews:

Creamy, nutty fudge with a hint of vanilla. This fudge simply melts in your mouth and doesn’t have that overly sweet taste. As with any recipe I prepare, I have a tendency to change the ingredients around so the results will be appealing to my family and myself.

12 oz of white baking chocolate (half a package of baking chocolate).

1 – 8 oz. package of room temperature cream cheese.

3 – cups of confectioners sugar (powdered sugar).

1 – Tbsp McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract.

1 – cup chopped nuts (I decided upon cashews, however, you can use your favorite toasted nuts).

I was able to find all of  my ingredients at my local Walmart, and let me tell you that wasn’t an easy feat considering it was a holiday weekend.

Start off by lining a 9×11 in pan with aluminum foil; allowing the foil to fold over the outer edges of the pan. Then spray with non-stick cooking spray or rub lightly with butter. The actual recipe calls for an 8×8 baking dish. My first batch (yes, it was so delicious we made more than one) I placed in the 8×8 inch pan, however, the fudge was too thick in my opinion, once it was sliced into one-inch squares from the top; you are left with 2+ inches in depth. So the second and third batches were made in the larger pan, which allowed the mixture more room to spread out and leaving us with fudge that was thinner and easier to cut.

Next I chopped the nuts because I couldn’t find any chopped cashews, Which was fine because the family nibbled on the leftover cashews. Once chopped I set them in a bowl to the side so I can quickly reach them when needed.

Next I placed my creamed cheese into my stand mixer and turned the speed to low; allowing to whip until smooth. While the cream cheese is whipping, I measure out my 3 cups of confectioners sugar into a pourable bowl with a spout. Turn your mixer off, raise the arm and add in about 1 cup of your powdered sugar. Place the arm back down and turn the mixer on LOW. This will enviably be a bit messy, but it’s something that is quite easy to wipe up. Once the powdered sugar has blended in with the cream cheese, stop your mixer and add another cup of powdered sugar. Once again place the setting on LOW. Finally, when the second cup has blended with the previous mixture, stop your mixer and add in your final cup of confectioners sugar. Turn your mixer on LOW once again. Once the mixture has combined, I then turn the speed up and allow the cream cheese and powdered sugar to whip for just a moment, now turn your mixer off and let’s move on to the white baking chocolate.

In a microwave safe bowl, place half a package of white baking chocolate. Place in your microwave on medium heat for 2 minutes and 30 seconds (each microwave time will vary). While your chocolate is melting, add 1 tablespoon of McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract into your cream cheese and confectioners sugar mixture. Now remove the very warm white chocolate from the microwave (be care not to spill any on yourself it will stick and burn) using a rubber spatula, scrape the chocolate mixture into the mixing bowl with your cream cheese, confectioners sugar and McCormick® Vanilla. Now place the arm of the mixer down and turn the speed to LOW, gradually increasing the speed to whip for a few moments. Then stop the mixer and pour in your chopped nuts and turn the mixer back on, just long enough to mix the chopped nuts in thoroughly.

Now you can turn everything off and remove your mixing bowl from the mixer stand. Pour your white chocolate fudge mixture into your prepared pan. Using the rubber spatula, scrap the rest of the mixture out and then spread evenly into your pan. At this point, you can garnish with whole nuts if desired.

Place your white chocolate fudge into the refrigerator for at least one hour. Then using the foil lift your fudge out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut your fudge into one-inch squares. Place wax paper in between each layer of sliced fudge for ease of removal. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Fudge with Walnuts or Pecans: I changed out the white baking chocolate for the chocolate baking chocolate and added walnuts into one batch and pecans into the third batch.

The recipe is very easy to follow and actually comes together rather quickly without a lot of fussing and by fuss I mean my mother’s old fashion fudge recipe calls for white sugar, milk, and a ton of other ingredients which would normally be cooked on the stove top. Which must come to a soft-ball stage in the cooking process otherwise you’ve wasted an entire pan full of ingredients. Another, recipe for another day.

Happy Holidays!

 

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