Bready or Not: Five-Minute Spicy Mexican Fudge
I am here today to preach about fudge inclusiveness as I share a recipe for Five Minute Spicy Mexican Fudge.
I do not sneer at some fudges as being “better” or “real.” To me, it does not matter if the fudge is produced on stove top with a candy thermometer, or with a jar of marshmallow cream, or melted in the microwave.
When it comes to fudge, what matters is this:
Does the fudge taste good? Is the texture pleasing to the palate? Does it make me mutter, “Calories be darned to heck,” and reach for another piece?
That is the criteria by which fudge should be judged.
That said, I present to you a fudge that is zapped in the microwave and assembled all of five minutes. Let it set in the fridge for a few hours, and ta-da! You have a fudge that will keep well for days. It also holds up well at room temperature if you’re serving it at a party.
The Mexican spice element comes from cinnamon and cayenne pepper. I used the minimal amount of pepper, 1/8 teaspoon, which provides complexity but absolutely no discernible heat. Tweak the scorch level to your personal taste. Do, however, sprinkle coarse salt to add some lovely contrast.
Originally featured at the Holy Taco Church. Recipe adapted from Wine and Glue.
Bready or Not: Five-Minute Spicy Mexican Fudge
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk chocolate chips about a bag and a half
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk can
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon Mexican cinnamon preferred
- 1/8 - 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- kosher salt or coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Lightly grease it.
- Use a microwave or sauce pan to melt together the chocolate and sweetened condensed milk. If you're using the microwave, use short bursts of 20-30 seconds and stir well between each.
- Once the chocolate mix is smooth, pour in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. (Note that 1/8 teaspoon provides a little flavor, not much heat, so add cayenne and taste to adjust to desired heat level.)
- Immediately pour the fudge into the prepared pan. Smooth out to edges and sprinkle salt all over the top. Let set in fridge at least four hours before cutting. Keeps in covered dish in fridge for upwards of a week.
- OM NOM NOM!
Giftmas Bready or Not: Cake Batter White Chocolate Fudge (Microwave)
I’m offering a holiday-favorite Bready or Not recipe again to help kick off Rhonda Parrish’s Giftmas Blog Tour. Rhonda lives up in Edmonton, Alberta, and she’s hoping to raise funds for the Edmonton Food Bank. I’m all about helping to feed people! Please donate if you can. Note that funds are listed in Canadian dollars.
Rhonda is also doing a giveaway as part of the tour. She’s making a crocheted throw. The winner gets to choose the color, and she is shipping it anywhere in the world!
Wander around to other stops on the tour over the next week. I’ll post another favorite recipe at Eileen Bell’s site on the 10th!
This is a sweet cause, so here’s a recipe to make something especially sweet: microwave fudge that uses cake mix!
Eating this fudge is like licking the paddle after mixing up cake mix batter. If you prefer savory over sweet, this recipe isn’t for you. This is for the people who love fudge and frosting and all things sweet.
I didn’t limit myself to sprinkles in this. I had some Christmas candies, the type for topping cupcakes and such, that had been sealed away for a year. It had been a great post-holiday clearance buy. I wanted the containers GONE, so I pretty much dumped the contents into this fudge. That’s why you see little light bulb shaped candies in there.
This is obviously a great Christmas recipe, but it’s an easy one to customize year round depending on the colors you mix in. Make fudge to support your favorite sport team, or pink and red for Valentine’s Day, or pastels for spring. Cake mix goes on sale all year round, too, making this a pretty cheap recipe to throw together.
Whatever you add in, I’m sure it will be pretty. And delicious. So very, very delicious.
Modified from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Bready or Not: Cake Batter White Chocolate Fudge (Microwave)
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 Tbsp white or yellow cake mix any brand, sifted
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
- 1/2 cup salted butter cut into chunks (or use unsalted and add a pinch of salt)
- 1/4 cup milk almond milk works
- 2/3 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles/non pareils/jimmies
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside. Measure the white chocolate chips and the sprinkles in separate dishes so they are ready to add quickly.
- Mix sifted cake mix and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Add milk and butter, without stirring, and microwave for 2 minutes.
- Promptly mix ingredients until the butter is fully melted and incorporated. The batter will be very thick. Fold in white chocolate. Add the sprinkles last and stir gently so they don't leak too much color.
- Scoop into prepared baking pan. Level it across the top. Chill the fudge in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before cutting into small blocks.
- Fudge will keep upwards of a week in the fridge, if it lasts that long.
OM NOM NOM
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Bready or Not: Quick Maple Cookie Fudge
It’s holiday time, so that means it’s time for super-fast microwave Maple Cookie Fudge!
“But Beth,” I hear you saying, “You just featured a fudge recipe a month ago!”
Aha! I did indeed. That pumpkin fudge is delicious indeed, with its texture and taste like pumpkin frosting, but it also gets soft if it’s not kept chilled. THIS fudge recipe has endurance. Fortitude. Maple.
This is a shortcut fudge without any need of a candy thermometer or stress. I like to use the microwave, but you can use the stovetop if you want. You can keep the maple cookies chunky, if you desire, or grind everything to crumbs–your choice! I actually like some small chunks mixed in for texture.
The maple flavor is nice and consistent here, not cloying, while the marshmallow fluff grants the texture some extra oomph. If you want, you can add in some nuts as well, but if you keep your cookies kinda chunky, they can add some nut-like texture to the squares.
This would be the perfect quick fudge to make for a holiday party where everything needs to stay out on a counter for hours! The leftovers will keep very well in a sealed container in the fridge, too.
Come to think of it, this maple cookie fudge is just about perfect if you ignore the pesky nutritional side of things.
Bready or Not: Quick Maple Cookie Fudge
Ingredients
- 3 cups white chocolate chips
- 20 maple crème cookies crushed/chopped/maimed
- 7 ounce marshmallow fluff jar
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk can
- 1 teaspoon maple flavor
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup nuts chopped walnuts/pecans/macadamia, optional
Instructions
- Prepare a 9x13 pan by lining it with foil and applying nonstick spray.
- Either in microwave or on stovetop, carefully melt chocolate with canned milk and marshmallow cream. If microwaving, do it in short bursts because it can burn fast! Stir often.
- When the mix is smooth, add the maple flavor and vanilla. Fold in the maple cookies. Use an uneven spatula to smooth out the top.
- Refrigerate at least 3 hours, until the fudge is firm. Cut into bite size pieces. Keep stored in fridge between layers of wax paper. Unlike some other quick fudges, this will keep well for hours at room temperature.
- OM NOM NOM!
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Bready or Not: Quick Cookie Butter Pumpkin Fudge
Is frosting your favorite part of cake? Well, do I have a fudge recipe for you!
This easy microwave fudge tastes like pumpkin spice frosting. It’s that rich. That delicious. This makes a big batch, so cut the pieces small and share with a crowd!
The original version of this recipe used peanut butter. Well, you know me. Why go with cliché peanut butter when you can use creamy COOKIE BUTTER? Use Biscoff, Speculoose, or any of the new off-brand versions–heck, my local Sprouts even has their own cookie butter now!
In baked recipes, cookie butter makes cooked goodies taste like cookie dough. Here, that effect is much more mild. It adds a lovely color and helps the pumpkin and spices to shine through.
Make this for a potluck or family gathering, and share the joy of cookie butter and pumpkin spice!
Modified from Peanut Butter Pumpkin Fudge at Crazy for Crust.
Bready or Not: Quick Cookie Butter Pumpkin Fudge
Ingredients
- 4 cups white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup Creamy Biscoff or Speculoos or other brand cookie butter
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- turbinado sugar optional
Instructions
- Line an 8x8-inch pan with foil and coat it with cooking spray. Measure out all of your ingredients and have them at hand.
- Place white chocolate chips and cookie butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat on 50% power for 45 seconds--and stay close, because white chocolate can burn fast in the microwave. Stir well, then continue heating on 50% power in 25 second increments, stirring between each bout, until melted and smooth.
- (Yes, you could also do this in a saucepan over medium-low heat on the stovetop, but that wouldn't be quite as quick!)
- Once the chocolate and cookie butter are blended with no lumps, immediately stir in the pumpkin puree, spice, and vanilla extract. Combine it as fast as you can. Pour the fudge batter into the prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle turbinado sugar and some more pumpkin spice over the top.
- Place in fridge to set for several hours before cutting and serving--this makes a lot! Keep stored in a sealed container in fridge, with blocks of fudge between layers of wax paper or parchment. The fudge softens fast at room temperature.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Salted Dulce de Leche Fudge
Life might really suck. But don’t worry. Salted Dulce de Leche Fudge loves you.
This fudge exists in Zen. It simply is. It does not think. It is here. A thing that you may partake of, a thing that makes stress fade away as dulce de leche-smooth chocolate melts on your tongue.
Its creation is fairly peaceful, too. This fudge is super easy. It comes together in just a few minutes if you use your microwave.
You can find cans of dulce de leche by the sweetened condensed milk in the grocery store, or on the Hispanic foods aisle. You can also caramelize a can of sweetened condensed milk to make it yourself.
I used bittersweet chocolate for the top layer. I’m not a bitter or dark chocolate sort, but it really works well here with the mild sweetness of the fudge. And the salt—the salt is essential. Coarse salt is nice because it keeps in crystals on the top—I really recommend pretzel salt, if you have it around.
However you tweak the recipe, know that the end result will love you, and you will love it, and all will be right in the world for about twenty-two seconds. Until you eat more fudge.
Modified from Easy Salted Caramel Fudge at Something Swanky, with my version originally posted at the Holy Taco Church.
Bready or Not: Salted Dulce de Leche Fudge
Ingredients
- 13 - 14 ounce Dulce de Leche can
- 3 cups white chocolate chips or white candy melts
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips or bittersweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1 - 2 pinches coarse salt pretzel salt or kosher
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with foil or parchment. Apply non-stick cooking spray. Measure out the two kinds of chocolate, separately, and open the can.
- Over low heat in the microwave or on the stovetop, melt the white chocolate. Once it is smooth and completely melted, mix in the dulce de leche and a pinch of salt. Stir until the color is consistent. It will be very thick.
- Glop it into the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top with a rubber or offset spatula.
- Melt the darker chocolate morsels in the microwave; 30 seconds, stir, then another 20-30 seconds should do it. Pour the melted chocolate over the fudge. Even it out with your trusty spatula. Sprinkle salt over the top.
- Let it cool completely on the counter or in the fridge for 3-4 hours, until it's set. The chocolate top will likely crackle some as you cut it, but that's okay. It makes tasty crumbs. Cut into small squares.
- Leftovers will keep sealed in fridge for upwards of a week.
- OM NOM NOM!
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Bready or Not: Tunnel of Fudge Cake (redux)
The Clockwork Crown is out! YAAAAAY! Now here’s the cake to celebrate. THE cake. The infamous Tunnel of Fudge Cake.
I originally posted this back in May 2012. I figured that for this splendiferous occasion, it deserved a repost. This is one of the most amazing cakes I have ever encountered. I mean, LOOK AT IT.
You just gained five pounds by looking at that picture. I’m sorry.
To quote my original post:
As you can see, it’s a bundt cake. It cooks up and creates its own middle layer of fudge inside. When the cake is fresh, it oozes out in an amazing way. After it has been in the fridge, honestly, it tastes even better. The middle solidifies so it’s like there are two layers of fudgy frosting, one on the inside and one on the outside. You also have this whole mingling of textures thing going on: cakey chocolate, fudgy chocolate, chocolate glaze, walnuts, chocolate, chocolate, chhhhhhocolate.
If you don’t like nuts or have allergies–sorry, this cake really does need them. I think they provide some scaffolding for the massive quantities of chocolate.
I can add some experience from making this a few times, too. The leftovers are easy to handle. Line a small pan with wax paper. Slice the cake however you want and place the pieces on the pan. Freeze them. Bag them. When you want to serve a slice, remove from freezer and zap it in the microwave until it’s as thawed or hot as you want.
Recipe is adapted from Relish Magazine, and originally in Bundt Cake Bliss by Susanna Short.
Bready or Not: Tunnel of Fudge Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1 3/4 cups white sugar
- 1 3/4 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 6 eggs room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
- 2 cups walnuts or pecans, chopped
Glaze:
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar sifted
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder sifted
- 2 - 3 tablespoons milk or half and half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan. One option is to melt 1tablespoon butter, mix 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder into it, then brush the sides of the bundt pan. Or use nonstick spray or butter and sprinkle flour or cocoa powder into the pan.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine flour and cocoa powder and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and mix thoroughly. Stir in flour mixture by hand until well blended. Gently stir in nuts. Batter will be thick and rather mud-like. Spoon all of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is set and the edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Do NOT use the toothpick test. You don't want the center to solidify with this cake.
- Cool cake upright in the pan on a wire rack for 1 1/2 hours to allow fudge to set. Invert onto a plate to cool thoroughly. Make sure the cake is completely cool before you add the glaze.
- To prepare glaze, combine sifted confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Add 2 tablespoons milk. Mix thoroughly, and add more milk if needed to create a smooth but pourable glaze. Spoon glaze over top of cake, allowing some to run down sides.
- This can be eaten fresh but is even better after being in the fridge overnight. The chocolate flavor deepens. It can also be frozen in slices and thawed/warmed in microwave.
- OM NOM NOM and take an insulin injection.
