Strawberry Chocolate Fudge |Cooking With Amanda

In my mind, Christmas and the first part of December are for cookies. I love the holiday cookies, don't get me wrong. We usually bake six to eight varieties in a wide variety of flavors, from caramel-tinged Russian tea cake cookies to fruity raspberry almond spritz cookies to decadent chocolate coconut cookies, and hand them out to family, friends and coworkers. But after the 25th of December, I usually need a bit of a cookie break.

However, I also host an annual cocktails and board games New Years' Eve party, and you can't have a holiday party without treats! Cookies are out, and since we're playing board games, dessert that requires a fork and a plate aren't usually the best choice either. We need to keep our hands free for moving pieces and collecting cards! Enter homemade candy.

This holiday season, I've been playing around with different strawberry chocolate fudge recipes. I've tried the ones that call for mini marshmallows, sweetened condensed milk, or any other ingredients meant to make the process easier. But the winner by far was the traditional fudge recipe - the one requiring a candy thermometer, some patience and a whole lot of stirring with a wooden spoon.

The resulting fudge is nice and creamy, with no grittiness in sight. It is decadent and rich, with a firm and smooth texture when you bite into it. And the addition of strawberry jam gives it a fruity flavor with a little more depth than you'd find in a plain chocolate fudge. The traditional way of making fudge is definitely worth the extra work and time.

Make this strawberry chocolate fudge a few days before your last holiday party (it will save you some prep time on party day if the dessert is already done) and wow your guests as you ring in the new year with a fruity chocolate treat.

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Strawberry Chocolate Fudge Recipe

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Ingredients

3 tablespoons strawberry jam
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup half and half
1 tablespoon corn syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Puree the strawberry jam in a blender or mini food processor so that it is smooth, with no chunks of berries.
Line a 8" x 8" baking pan with parchment paper, and grease the paper, including up the sides.
Stir the sugar, chocolate, half and half, corn syrup, jam and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the chocolate is completely melted.
Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Bring to a boil, which should take 2-3 minutes.
Uncover the pan and clip a candy thermometer to the pan so that it isn't touching the bottom or sides of the hot pan. Cook without stirring until the temperature reads 235°F.
Turn off the heat and add the rest of the butter. DO NOT STIR or otherwise disturb the fudge.
Allow to cool to 125°F, which should take 35-50 minutes.
Use a wooden spoon to stir in the vanilla, and beat until the fudge is thick and beginning to lose its gloss. Immediately pour into the prepared baking pan to cool completely. Cut into 1" pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature.