It's not Christmas if you don't intend to consume at least three of the above four foods over the next fortnight. Think you might struggle to fit the last one in? Well don't panic, as today's Christmas post combines all of the above, in a delicious American recipe from Joy the Baker for Peppermint Pretzel Marshmallow Fudge.
Whether you attack a tin of this while watching Miracle on 34th Street for the millionth time or decide to give it all away as presents, this decadently sweet chocolate fudge bursting with salty pretzels, chewy marshmallows and crunchy, minty candy canes will definitely go down a treat.
The original recipe can be found on Joy the Baker's website here, but I've included it below too. I've tried my best to convert the measurements into grams rather than the American cups system which makes absolutely no sense to me, and I think I've also found the equivalent ingredients. When I made this the texture was totally wrong as it turns out I didn't convert everything properly on the day (who knew this cups malarky could be so complicated?!), but I've just spent ages on a couple of different conversion websites so the quantities below should work out correctly. If you have more experience with these matters then please don't hesitate to set me on the right path in the comments below!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted // 120ml melted unsalted butter
2 cups packed dark brown sugar // 340g soft brown sugar
2 cups granulated sugar // 340g granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup // 170g golden syrup
1 cup half and half // 240ml single cream
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt // 1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips // 280g dark chocolate chips
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract // 2tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows // 350g mini marshmallows
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy // 85g candy canes, crushed
1 cup crushed pretzels // 100g pretzels, roughly broken
Method:
Grease a 34cm x 24cm tray bake pan (Mary Berry's is the perfect size) and carefully line with baking parchment.
Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with 140g of the mini marshmallows, half of the candy canes, and half of the pretzel pieces.
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan stir together butter, soft brown sugar, granulated sugar, golden syrup, single cream, and sea salt over a medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a low heat. Allow to simmer for three minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chocolate chips and stir until completely melted and combined. The mixture will still be simmering as you stir in the chocolate.
In the original recipe, Joy suggests clipping a "candy thermometer" to the edge of the saucepan and watching as the mixture comes to 234F. I don't have a specific candy thermometer and have no intent of buying one, so used my Thermapen and waited until the mixture reached 112C. There's no need to stir the mixture as it comes up to temperature. Once the mixture reaches the correct temperature, remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Add the vanilla extract and 70g of the mini marshmallows to the still warm chocolate fudge. Using electric hand beaters (or a free-standing electric mixer) beat the mixture together until the marshmallows are completely melted and combined. This should take between 2 and 3 minutes.
While the mixture is still warm, pour it over the marshmallows, peppermint, and pretzels in the prepared pan. Immediately sprinkle the top of the fudge with the remaining marshmallows, peppermint, and pretzels, and press them in just slightly while the fudge is still warm. I can't stress the need to act quickly enough: the top of the fudge cools very quickly, so work fast!
Cover the pan in cling film or tin foil and allow to rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours or until solid through. Once cooled, remove from the tin and enjoy.
It's worth mentioning: this is ridiculously sweet. As in, you only need a tiny piece before you're bouncing off the walls. Blue smarties and Sunny D have nothing on this fudge!
I'm not sure if this is an American thing or if I made errors in the quantities of sugar when I made it (slightly different quantities than the revised ones outlined above) but it's so sweet, and will probably be too sweet for some some people. You've been warned!
It's so beautiful I'd really recommend giving pieces of this away as Christmas presents. It's easy to cut into small cubes, and if you've spread the marshmallows/pretzels/candy canes evenly then each piece will contain mouthfuls of minty-chocolatey-salty-chewy-crunchy goodness. Don't get me wrong, it sounds weird, but somehow it works!
Wrap individually and share with everyone! Shops are starting to reduce Christmas-themed ribbons now, so stocking up on it to decorate bags of fudge sounds like a plan! The star one I've used was only £1.50 in Cath Kidston, but there are so many to chose from at the moment you'll be spoilt for choice.
Depending on how you like your fudge it can be stored differently. If you're a fan of it soft and squidgy then leave in a tin at room temperature; if you prefer it harder and more chewy then it needs keeping in the fridge. It'll last for a couple of days, but the pretzels go soft quite quickly and can lose their crunch which is a shame. Basically, it needs eating as soon as possible!
Will you be trying this Peppermint Pretzel Marshmallow Fudge this Christmas? Do let me know if you give / receive any: I'd love to know what you think of it!
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