Valentine's Day Treat: Chocolate Fudge with Bourbon Sugar

Thinking about giving your valentine a special homemade gift this year? Try this fudge recipe! I made a batch of this highly-addicting candy over the holidays and B was a huge fan. Bundle pieces in cute little boxes (like the ones below that I found at the container store) and give them to your friends and loved ones!

For the bourbon sugar:

  1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (*if you don’t have a vanilla bean, 1-2 teaspoons of good quality extract can be substituted)
  1 cup demerara sugar
  2 tablespoons bourbon

For the fudge:

   Nonstick vegetable oil spray
   10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 72%), coarsely chopped
   4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
   1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
   10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
   2 tablespoons bourbon
   1 tablespoon light corn syrup
   ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
   1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
   Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

To make the bourbon sugar…

Preheat oven to 150° or as low as yours will go. Scrape vanilla seeds into a small bowl; stir in demerara sugar and bourbon. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let dry out in oven overnight, leaving door slightly ajar. Mixture should feel like demerara sugar again in the morning.  (I had a bunch of the sugar left over after making the fudge. You can store it in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 months and use it as a garnish for ice cream or cocktails.)

To make the fudge…
 
Line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a generous overhang on 2 sides; lightly coat with nonstick spray. Heat chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water), stirring occasionally, until almost completely melted. Set aside.

Combine condensed milk, butter, bourbon, corn syrup, and kosher salt in a small saucepan; scrape in vanilla seeds and add pod. Heat over medium until barely hot (same as the chocolate).

Gently stir one quarter of milk mixture into chocolate with a rubber spatula. Add another quarter of milk mixture, stirring to incorporate (it might look broken and greasy; don’t worry, it will come back together). Continue with remaining milk mixture in 2 additions, stirring vigorously until fudge is very shiny and almost elastic, about 5 minutes. Scrape into prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with bourbon sugar and sea salt. Let cool, then cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Turn out fudge onto a cutting board and slice into 2x¾” rectangles, 2” squares, or triangles.

The fudge can be made one week ahead. Wrap tightly and chill.

original recipe via Bon Appetit

Valentine's Day Treat: Chocolate Fudge with Bourbon Sugar

Valentine's Day Treat: Chocolate Fudge with Bourbon Sugar

4 comments

Reply

This looks so good!

Reply

Yummy!!this look like delicious.Chocolate drives me crazy.Kisses:-)

Reply

Oh, this just looks so decadent and delicious!

Reply

this looks absolutely delish!!!
a must try

-Bionica

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