Karen's Chocolate Peppermint Bourbon Walnut Fudge

Description

Source: I'm Dreaming of a chocolate christmas - marcel desaulniers

O fudge—how we love you for tempting us as you do in this recipe, with a dark and dense mélange of chocolate, walnuts, bourbon, and peppermint. Fudge, you are not just candy. You are olfactory and gustatory ecstasy, and we shall eat every last morsel before the gentleman and his reindeer hit the scene. This book did not originally include a fudge recipe because my mom’s fudge was in my first chocolate book, Death by Chocolate. Why go beyond Mom? Former Trellis pastry chef Shelley Tennant boldly answered that question when she presented me with a batch of her stepmother Karen’s fudge. After the first bite, I knew this book needed her version. Karen, a very enthusiastic cook who was enamored with a fudge purchased in Baltimore Harbor, replicated it with this relatively foolproof and easy-to-prepare recipe. Karen’s fudge will retain all of its pepperminty delightfulness for several days stored in a tightly sealed plastic container in the refrigerator. For long-term storage (up to several weeks), freeze the fudge in a tightly sealed plastic container to prevent dehydration and to protect it from refrigerator or freezer odors. Refrigerated or frozen, the fudge will get very hard; bring it to room temperature before enjoying.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, plus 1 tablespoon, melted
• 3-1⁄3 cups granulated sugar
• 1-1⁄3 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup walnut halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1 tablespoon peppermint extract

Directions

1. Lightly coat an 8×8×2-inch nonstick baking pan with the 1 tablespoon melted butter, then line the pan with plastic wrap.
2. Combine the sugar, cream, the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, and the salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
3. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to completely dissolve the sugar.
4. Turn the heat down (so the mixture does not boil out of the saucepan), and continue to boil while stirring frequently until the mixture reaches a temperature of 230°F (thread stage), about 6 minutes.
5. Use a digital thermometer for an accurate reading.
6. Remove from the heat.
7. Add the chopped chocolate and stir carefully with a whisk.
8. Stir until the chocolate has melted and been completely incorporated.
9. Add the walnuts, bourbon, and peppermint extract, and stir with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
10. Pour the fudge into the prepared pan, spreading evenly with the spatula.
11. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
12. To serve, remove the top layer of plastic wrap.
13. Flip the pan upside down on top of a cutting board.
14. Remove the plastic wrap.
15. Cut into desired size pieces.
16. Store in tightly sealed plastic container in the refrigerator.
17. Bring to room temperature before serving.

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 3 POUNDS