Old-Fashioned Fudge

We won’t sugarcoat it. This old-fashioned fudge recipe will test your willpower. First, it has no modern tricks to hide behind—no sweetened condensed milk or marshmallow fluff to make easy work of it. Second, you’ll have to beat it with a wooden spoon for about 6 minutes; not long in the grand scheme, but eons when beating things with a wooden spoon (we suggest making a holiday game of it). And finally, once the fudge is set and sliced, you’ll have to stop yourself from nicking a piece of the chewy, unbeatably creamy confection every time you walk by the tray. Or not: After all, you did all that beating).

To really make it worth your while, you should consider this chocolate fudge recipe a canvas for personal expression. Sprinkle it with flaky sea salt or toasted salted peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, or pecans for a salty-sweet balance and satisfying crunch. For a sweeter riff, add toffee bits, chopped white or dark chocolate, milk chocolate chips, fancy sprinkles, dried cranberries, or shredded coconut. Give your fudge recipe rocky road vibes by substituting almond extract for a quarter of the vanilla, and then top it with mini marshmallows and chopped almonds. Or make it a peppermint patty–inspired fudge by subbing in ¼ tsp. peppermint extract and frosting with whipped marshmallow crème. The fudge starts to firm up quickly, so have whatever toppings or mix-ins you want to use ready to go and at arm’s length before you start cooking. Once you’ve got it set in the baking dish, walk away and don’t think about it again for at least 4 hours. The fudge needs time to fully set so that it holds its shape when sliced—we promise, the wait will be worth it.

This recipe was adapted from ‘Cakewalk’ by Kate Moses. Buy the full book on Amazon.