Pretty and sweet strawberry fudge made with marshmallow fluff, a super cute and delicious gift for your Valentine.
So fudge is something pretty new to me. Fudge, either chocolate or strawberry or anything, is not something I have ever seen in Germany. I did see fudge in some gift, touristic shops in England (Bath and I think pretty much anywhere in Wales), but I have never bought it myself.
I have made fudge for the first time less than an year ago, for a Harry Potter recipes project, where I was asked to create recipes for fever fudge and butterbeer fudge. I did encounter some difficulties in getting some stable fudge at first, but the second try was already much better.
Strawberry fudge recipe
Making fudge nowadays is no problem anymore, it is actually so easy, you will keep coming back to it when in need for something really sweet or for some pretty homemade gifts.
To tell you the truth, I only make fudge when I need some homemade gifts, a whole portion of fudge just for the family… that is definitely too much.
Fudge is so sweet, so full of sugar, you can only eat one small piece at a time, so I only recommend making it when planning to give away at least half of the portion as a gift. Otherwise, you will probably never be able to finish it, not even if you a have a mega sweet tooth.
Ingredients for strawberry fudge with marshmallow fluff
The main ingredient for making this simple fudge recipe is sugar.
Sugar in form of plain sugar, in form of marshmallow fluff and in the white chocolate you will also need for the recipe. Sugar, sugar, sugar!
I did reduce the quantity of sugar actually, all the fudge recipes I saw online actually used more sugar than I did. I would have reduced it even more, but I was afraid that too little sugar would affect the consistency of the finished product.
I used strawberry marshmallow fluff
, which consists mainly of sugar as well. Marshmallow fluff comes in different flavors and it is sold in plastic jars. A jar sold in Germany contains 180 g/ 6.3 oz fluff. If marshmallow fluff is not available where you live, you could make your own.
And white chocolate, lots of sugar as well. When it comes to chocolate I recommend using a brand you like, something that you would enjoy eating in plain form as well. There is no use of making or baking something using cheap, low quality chocolate, you will always be able to tell the difference when it comes to chocolate.
I used evaporated milk for this simple fudge recipe with marshmallow fluff, evaporated milk with 7,5 % fat.
To color the fudge I used of good red food gel color
mixed with a little strawberry extract
. If you cannot get the strawberry essence, use vanilla extract or even a little bit of vodka, about 2 teaspoons should do it, just enough to loosen the gel coloring.
If using vanilla extract to dissolve the food gel coloring, leave out the vanilla extract used later on in the recipe and be aware that the fudge will look like strawberries, but taste rather of vanilla. The strawberry flavor in the marshmallow fluff will not be enough to make the fudge taste like strawberries, unless you use strawberry essence as well.
How to make fudge
One important thing to mention when making any kind of fudge recipe is the use of a candy thermometer
. I think that was the main problem for me when making fudge the first time, I did not use the thermometer because I was trusting a recipe telling me that the fudge has to be boiled for exactly 5 minutes.
Well, it does take indeed around 5 minutes for the simple fudge recipe to be ready, but it is sometimes a bit less or a bit more time, depending on so many factors: how high is the heat, how often you stir, the size of the pot you use, the thickness of the pot’s bottom and so on.
Using a candy thermometer to make the fudge recipe with marshmallow fluff will make things so much easier for you. You don’t have to invest in an expensive one, I bought one for less than 10 Euros and it works perfectly. And the best thing about, it can be set to measure the temperature in either Celsius or Fahrenheit degrees, so I don’t have to bother converting when following an American recipe, for instance. And that’s great!
Steps for making the strawberry fudge recipe:
Step 1: Chop the white chocolate finely. If using white chocolate chips, skip this step. Set the chocolate aside.
Step 2: In a small bowl combine the food gel coloring with the strawberry extract (or vodka). If using vanilla extract, leave out the vanilla extract used later in the recipe. Stir until the gel dissolves evenly. Set aside.
Step 3: Combine the sugar, butter cubes and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil over medium low heat while stirring often. Once it starts to boil, check the temperature frequently with a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the temperature reaches 112 degrees Celsius/ 234 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4: Stir in the chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips), marshmallow fluff and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
Step 5: Drop the food coloring mixture all over the fudge mixture. Using a knife or a fork, create a swirled pattern by carefully going through the fudge mixture back and forth. Don’t overdo it or the fudge will turn pink instead of being nicely patterned.
Step 6: Either pour the fudge mixture into a square baking dish lined with oiled aluminum foil or give small dollops of it in heart-shaped (or any other shape) silicon molds. Let cool for a while, then transfer to the fridge until completely set.
Step 7: Remove from the baking dish and cut the strawberry fudge into small squares or remove from the silicon molds by pressing the fudge out from underneath.
The strawberry fudge with marshmallow fluff keeps for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. To stop it from drying out, you should wrap it in wax paper and then place it in an airtight container. Fudge can also be frozen and apparently it is better to freeze fudge in larger blocks.
Line a baking dish (20×20 cm/ 8×8 inches) with aluminum foil. Lightly oil the foil. Chop the white chocolate finely. Skip this step if using white chocolate chips. Set aside. In a small bowl stir together the food gel coloring and the pure strawberry extract until the color is evenly dissolved. Set aside. Give the sugar, cubed butter and evaporated milk to a saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium low heat, stirring often. Once it boils, stir almost continuously and start checking the temperature with a candy thermometer. Once the mixture reaches 112 degrees Celsius/ 234 degrees Fahrenheit remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the white chocolate, marshmallow fluff and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Drop the food coloring mixture all over the fudge mixture. Using a knife or a fork, create a swirled pattern by carefully going through the fudge mixture back and forth. Don’t overdo it or the fudge will turn completely pink. Either pour the fudge mixture into a square baking dish lined with oiled aluminum foil or give small dollops of it in heart-shaped (or any other shape) silicon molds. Let cool for a while, then transfer to the fridge until completely set. Remove from the baking dish and cut into small squares or remove from the silicon molds by pressing the fudge out from underneath. The strawberry fudge keeps for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. To stop it from drying out, you should wrap it in wax paper and then place it in an airtight container. Note 1: I used Wilton 610-906 Icing Gel, 1-Ounce, Red-Red Note 2: Vodka or pure vanilla extract can be used instead. If using vanilla extract, leave out the vanilla extract needed later in the recipe. Using vanilla extract will reduce the strawberry flavor, the strawberry marshmallow fluff is not enough for a strong strawberry flavor, unless you use the strawberry essence as well. However, vanilla fudge is also delicious. Note 3: Leave out if using vanilla extract to dissolve the food gel coloring.
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3 comments
wow lots of sugar, but hey, it’s for the Valentine….so let’s indulge!
The color and the swirls are so pretty! Like you, I can only eat a small amount at a time. They tend to be too sweet for me. It’s a kind of food that definitely needs to be shared (and there are always willing takers)!
beautiful! marshmallow fluff is the best! it’s kind of weird, but it’s so tasty and so versatile!