Don’t strike me down, but I never liked fudge. I didn’t like how rich it was and never felt a need to feel that sick after eating a treat. But, lately, certain aspects of fudge have started appealing to me. I don’t want the kind that is so sugary that you drop into a coma, but a small, satisfying piece of chocolate sounds quite nice. Instead of the usual mix-in suspects (peanut butter, walnuts, etc), I decided to make mine sing of the flavors of trail mix cookies! Plus, with the easy method I’ve used to make the fudge (no tempering, candy thermometers, or hassle here!), you will want to make up a batch for your next get-together!
Trail Mix Cookie Fudge
(makes 32 pieces)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I use Scharffen Berger 62%)
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk, fat free
3 Tbs. old fashioned oats, toasted*
¼ cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
2 Tbs. dry roasted peanuts
3 Tbs. craisins
2 Tbs. unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted
*toasting the oats is optional, but it adds more depth of flavor and it gives a subtle “baked cookie” taste to the finished fudge. Turn your oven on broil, sprinkle the oats on a foil-lined cookie sheet, and toast the oats, watching constantly, until they begin to smell slightly nutty. TIP: after the oats are toasted, pour them into a bowl to cool, and then put the coconut on the same baking sheet and toast it next. Then all of your toasting is done!
~Line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment or foil and spray with nonstick spray.
~In a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, microwave the chocolate at half-power until melted (about 2 min, stirring intermittently; *feel free to melt the chocolate over a double-boiler if you prefer). When the chocolate is melted, stir in the sweetened condensed milk. Then, quickly stir in all of your mix-ins. Use a silicone spatula to help pour all of the fudge mixture into your prepared baking dish, smoothing the top and making sure the fudge is even.
~Let set in the fridge for a couple hours before cutting. Use the parchment or foil to lift the block of fudge out of the dish, then cut into 32 equal pieces (I cut mine into 16 squares then cut each square into two triangle pieces, but you can cut yours however you please). Share with all of your friends!
Strike up a conversation: What would you put into your ideal batch of fudge?
I’m not a fan of fudge either so I’m sure I’d love these.
I love fudge! I’m not a fan of things in my fudge though so I would probably make these cookies plain, or with chocolate chunks and the dried fruit. 🙂 Thanks for sharing on Marvelous Mondays!
My ideal fudge would have peanut butter, pretzels, caramel, and white chocolate chips. I think. Oh I love fudge =)