I think it’s fair to say that I’ve gone slightly fudge mad in recent months! There’s been quite a foray into the world of homemade fudge here in the Only Crumbs Remain kitchen.
And why not when it tastes oh so good, is relatively easy to make and lends it’s self incredibly well to being the carrier for a host of different flavour combinations. And if that wasn’t enough, let me tell you that friends and family will be your bestest friends ever (bestest ever I tell you ?) when you share your creation ….. that’s assuming you’re prepared to share!
Just last week another batch was sliced into with Mr E commenting how much more flavoursome it is than shop bought fudge. I openly admit that I used to love treating myself to the occasional bag of shop bought mass produced fudge. Invariably I would opt for a vanilla fudge, and yes that shop bought fudge was nice. But since making our own we can honestly say that homemade fudge is far far tastier than the mass produced stuff.
Homemade fudge carries so much flavour! And this homemade Coffee and Walnut Fudge is definitely no exception.
This coffee & walnut fudge actually came about by accident. Though don’t you just love it when that happens?! A lovely friend of Mr E’s had very kindly given me her food paste colours that she no longer needed, and as a way of saying ‘thankyou’ I made a batch of fudge. I knew that she’d particularly enjoyed our Double Chocolate Fudge in the run up to Easter, but not having quite enough light brown muscovado sugar to hand, I chose to make up the quantity with some dark muscovado instead.
Oh boy! That relatively small amount (about 100g) of dark muscovado really gave the fudge a dark deep rich flavour. Mr E, when he sampled it, commented that he picked up some coffee notes! Now that set off a chain of thought.
Coffee fudge! Coffee and walnut fudge! Why should that classic flavour combination just be reserved for cake. Ooh, I could imagine how amazingly deep and flavoursome it could be. And so our homemade coffee and walnut fudge was born.
This fudge definitely isn’t shy and retiring. It’s Rich. It’s robust. It’s flavoursome. It packs a punch. The smooth fudge texture is punctuated with chopped walnuts, and then finished with a half walnut for good measure, whilst the coffee cuts through the sweetness of the confectionery beautifully. There’s a lot to love about this homemade fudge recipe.
The richness of the fudge means that only one piece is required to satisfy any confectionery craving (well, that’s the theory!) meaning that there’s more to share with friends and family. And rest assured, if you choose to keep it for yourself, fudge keeps incredibly well for 1-2 weeks when kept in an airtight container, and even up to 3 weeks when the container is stored in the fridge (though do remember to allow it to come back to room temperature to allow the flavours to re-awaken before enjoying it).
So, here’s how to make Coffee and Walnut Fudge.
print recipe
Fudge recipe is far from shy and retiring. It’s robust, packed with
flavour, and the coffee flavour cuts through the sweetness of the
confectionery beautifully. It’s a great alternative fudge flavour!
Prep time: 5 mins Hands on time: about 40 mins Yield: 25 large pieces
Specific Equipment
Large heavy based pan, which holds a volume of at least 3L
Digital Sugar Thermometer (or see note e below)
20cm x 20cm Brownie Tray (or similar)
For the Fudge
- 400ml Double Cream
- 135ml Milk
- 135g Unsalted Butter
- 400g Caster Sugar
- 200g Dark Muscovado Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 75g Milk Chocolate, broken into small pieces
- 2 tbsp Coffee dissolved into 3 tbsp boiling water (we used Douwe Egberts Pure Indulgence Dark Roast) (see note f)
- 80g Walnuts, chopped
To decorate the Fudge
- 25 Walnut halves
Notes:
a) Remember, this is incredibly hot! Do stir the syrup carefully so as to avoid splashing yourself. b) Keep animals, children and other vulnerable people out of the way when making fudge. c) When heating the mixture and waiting for it to reach 116C / 241F it will feel as though the temperature is stuck at around 104C / 220F for ages. Be patient and keep stirring, it will eventually move and will then increase fairly rapidly. d) Once portioned, store the fudge in an airtight container. It will be good for 1-2 weeks at room temperature but will last for up to 3 weeks if stored in the fridge. e) If you’re making fudge without a thermometer, it can be tested by dropping a small amount of fudge into a glass of cold water. It will form a ‘soft ball’ (or if you prefer your fudge a little firmer aim for ‘firm ball’ stage) when it is ready. Have a few drinking glasses by your oven hob filled with cold water before starting to make your fudge. Before testing wait for the molten sugar to climb up the sides of the pan and then drop back down. Boil for a further 3-4 minutes and then start to test. f) Avoid using too much water to dissolve the coffee as this will result in the fudge being too soft.
This post has been shared with:
Kat BakingExplorer
What delicious looking bites! I agree – homemade is better, thanks for linking up to #TreatPetite
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Homemade definitely rocks,
Angela x
Corina
It sounds like a lovely fudge and such a lucky accident too! If I made it I'd definitely have plenty for myself too as Mr Searchingforspice doesn't like anything flavoured with coffee! Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
I love it when little things like that happen and set off a chain of thought. I have to admit Corina, Mr E & I aren't massic coffee drinkers but we both found it was really good in the fudge. Smelt amazing too as it cooked!
You're welcome, it's a great linky,
Angela x
Kate Glutenfreealchemist
Coffee and walnut is such a classic and amazing pairing….. I imagine this fudge to be divine! Your photos are amazing too. x
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Aw thankyou so much Kate 🙂 It really is such a classic combo isn't it 🙂
Angela x
Charlotte Oates
This fudge looks and sounds amazing Angela – I love coffee and walnut! I'm loving your pictures for this too, beautiful x
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Aw thankyou so much Charlotte, that really means a lot coming from you especially as your images are absolutely stunning 🙂 It really is very tastey Charlotte, and that's coming from somebody who ordinarily isn't fond of coffee and walnut but it just seemed such a great flavour combo not to try. Hubby took the lions share of it to work to share with his colleagues and it went down incredibly well – the box was very soon empty!
Thanks for your lovely comment Charlotte,
Angela x
Monika Dabrowski
What a successful 'accidental' dessert! Looks amazing, pinning it for later as I am trying to eat lean this week:)
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Aw thankyou Monika, I love those happy little 'aacidents'! Yeah, it's certainly not diet food – definitely more of a treat 😉
Angela x
Anca
It looks amazing, I like how you placed the walnuts on top, in rows.
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Thankyou Anca – the neat little rows of walnuts meant the fudge pieces could be cut neatly so that each portion had a walnut half ontop (it also allowed me to scratch my slight OCD tendencies!)
Angela x
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
I dont believe this fudge will last 3 weeks, no one but no one could resist it that long surely! Seriously you already had me drooling on twitter. Now I have read the post its all i can do not to go to the kitchen and make a batch right now! Although I would probably use pecans as i have a bit of a thing for them at the moment. Don't you just love it when a recipe is born like this , Im sure its going to be very popular. Thank you for sharing on #CookBlogShare
Angela - Only Crumbs Remain
Hahaha, indeed! Mr E took the lion's share of it into the office after it was made and it didn't last long at all – they loved it! He was back with the empty container that evening when ordinarily there will be a few pieces left until the following day! Ooh I like the idea of using pecans in it Jacqueline, that's a nut I ought to use more often.
Thanks for your lovely comments,
Angela x