Chocolate Gingerbread Fudge

Gingerbread men (make that boys) with their red candy buttons and innocent smiles are cute treats for kids.  When they grow up, gingerbread boys become smooth, dark chocolate gingerbread fudge. They are a bit less sugary sweet, but they still win you over with the allure of their ginger, cinnamon and clove cologne. They're not softies on the outside, but when you go in for the kiss, they melt in your mouth. 

This weekend I'll be attending a girls-only solstice-themed birthday party with a fudge contest.  Not that it matters who wins (umm, whatever), but I hope the ladies agree that chocolate gingerbread fudge is where it's at.

Chocolate Gingerbread Fudge Recipe

 

I based this chocolate gingerbread fudge off of the chocolate balsamic fudge that I made a few years ago. That recipe was based on a fudge recipe from Joy of Baking.  I experimented with another recipe, but found that this one produced the best results with the least opportunity for error. 

• 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 x 2 inch pan (20 x 20 x 5 cm) with parchment paper. Make sure you go up the sides. You can then easily lift the sides to take the fudge out of the pan when it's done.  I used a little honey under the parchment paper to make it stay in place.
2. Combine the sweetened condensed milk, chopped chocolate, and butter in a stainless steel bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water.
3. Melt the chocolate mixture, stirring frequently. Make sure the mixture doesn't get too hot or the fudge may be grainy.
4. Stir until all of the chocolate is melted.  It will be very thick
5. Remove the bowl from the pot and stir in the molasses and spices.
6. Spread the fudge into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula.
7. Let stand at room temperature for a couple of hours.
8. Carefully remove the fudge from the pan by lifting the edges of the parchment paper. Cut the fudge into pieces.
9. Store in the refrigerator for several days, or freeze, well wrapped, for several months. Be sure to bring the fudge to room temperature before eating.

Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes

If you like the idea of chocolate and gingerbread, you may want to try my chocolate gingerbread cupcakes.  You might even want to experiment with putting the orange glaze that I used on the cupcakes on this fudge.

Something is Missing

Prior to posting this, I asked my Facebook community what they thought of the first paragraph.  Thanks to a comment by Stephanie Johnson, I removed one line.  If you are wondering what got cut, head over to Facebook and have a look.  Leave a comment there, letting me know if you think I should have kept it.