Eggnog Fudge
Creamy holiday candy made with real eggnog, butter, sugar, white chocolate, marshmallow creme, rum extract, and nutmeg. Boiled on the stovetop to 230°F, mixed off the heat, and chilled until firm to slice.
Equipment
- 1 Medium saucepan 2 quart
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish
- 1 Parchment Paper
- Candy thermometer
- Sharp chef's knife
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup eggnog
- 10 ½ ounces white chocolate chips
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg plus more for sprinkling on top of fudge
- ½ teaspoon rum extract or rum emulsion
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Fit parchment into an 8-by-8-inch dish, snipping the corners and overlapping the resulting flaps while leaving enough paper above the sides to grip. The paper should sit against the bottom and corners without bulky folds that press into the candy.
- Heat the butter, granulated sugar, and eggnog together in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously until boiling. The butter should disappear into the mixture as bubbles spread across the surface.
- Cook to 230°F with a candy thermometer in place, moving a wooden spoon across the bottom continuously during the approximately 8 to 10 minutes of cooking. Look for steady bubbling and a thick, pale syrup with a molasses-like flow.
- Take the pan off the burner and promptly work in the white chocolate and measured nutmeg until no unmelted chocolate remains. The residual heat melts the chocolate, though the mixture may briefly look stiff rather than silky.
- Beat in the marshmallow creme and rum extract until the mixture looks uniform. The texture should become smoother as a warm, rum-scented custard aroma rises from the pan.
- Transfer the warm candy to the parchment-lined dish and finish the surface with a sprinkle of nutmeg. The mixture should settle into a thick layer with evenly scattered spice on top.
- Leave the pan at room temperature for about 1 hour, then refrigerate overnight for 7 to 8 hours. The center should feel firm rather than yielding like a thick sauce before slicing.
- Lift the chilled slab onto a cutting board with the parchment overhang and divide it into 24 squares using a sharp chef’s knife. The pieces should hold their edges, and smaller cuts are fine for bite-sized portions.
- Keep leftover pieces refrigerated for up to 3 weeks. A tightly closed container helps protect the firm texture and keeps the surface from drying out.
Notes
Ingredient tip: Use full-fat traditional eggnog and real white chocolate containing cocoa butter rather than candy melts, which can alter the flavor and how the candy sets.
Texture tip: Stir across the entire bottom and into the corners of the saucepan so dairy solids do not scorch, and avoid scraping dried sugar from the upper pan walls into the syrup.
Doneness: If you do not have a candy thermometer, test a small drop of boiling syrup in ice-cold water; once cooled, it should gather into a soft, pliable ball that flattens easily.
Serving tip: Slice the chilled slab using a sharp chef's knife wiped with a warm, damp cloth and dried between cuts for clean edges.
Storage: Store pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator with parchment between layers for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.