Recipe: Chocolate chai fudge

When I get into mischief around here, it isn't always quilty.  Fall puts me in the mood to be in the kitchen baking, and today was the perfect day to do that.

The last two years, my girls have participated in the Creative Kids competition at the Washington State Spring Fair.  They love seeing their work on display at the fair, especially when they have been awarded ribbons.  One of our favorite contests is the Seattle Fudge Parent-Child Candy Contest.  The first year,  my eldest daughter won second place with her chocolate strawberry fudge, filled with fresh strawberries.  This year, not to be outdone, her younger sister won second place for her chocolate chai fudge.

I know this time of year many people start drooling over the pumpkin recipes, and I am no different.  But when I think of fall, I think of curling up on the couch with some needlework, a favorite show, and a chai latte.  So I thought I would whip up a batch today to send to the front desk crew at the girls' school, and share the recipe with you as well.



Milk Chocolate Chai Fudge

 

3/4 cup salted butter

3 cups sugar

5-6 TBS powdered chai latte mix

5 oz. evaporated milk

1 tsp dark vanilla

12 oz. milk chocolate chips

7 oz. marshmallow crème



Ingredients.


Combine sugar and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan and mix until sugar is completely moistened.  Add butter and chai latte mix.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  Boil approximately 4 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, lowering heat on stove, then add marshmallow crème and vanilla.  Return pan to stove and stir until marshmallow crème is dissolved.  Remove from heat and add chocolate chips.  Stir until completely melted, then immediately pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and cool before cutting.

 

Some tips and notes from me:
 

Mix the sugar and evaporated milk
thoroughly before adding heat.

This can be made with milk chocolate for a sweeter flavor, as I have done here, or with semisweet or even dark chocolate for a deeper flavor.  The higher quality the chocolate, the better your fudge will turn out.  Just be aware that you may need to increase the amount of chai with a darker chocolate to be able to taste it.

 

Do not skip the step of stirring the sugar and evaporated milk.  You want to get this well mixed before you even start heating your mixture.  One of the things that will make your fudge grainy is undissolved sugar crystals.  The quicker and more effectively you get them dissolved, the better.

 

The brand of chai mix I used is Big Train, available at Cash & Carry, and I am sure many other retailers.  However, you could use any powdered mix, including a homemade mix.

 

When you bring your fudge to a boil, do not wait for it to come to a rolling boil.  Once you start seeing bubbles that are more than a simmer, it is time to start stirring.  Do not put your spoon down at this point!  You want to keep stirring the entire time so the mixture does not scorch on the bottom.  The recipe states 4 minutes, but if you see your mixture darkening and pulling away from the sides a bit at the top, it is time to remove it from the stove.

Another way to make your fudge rich and creamy is to spend some time allowing the marshmallow crème to melt down after adding it.  Once you remove the fudge from the stove and add the chocolate chips, you need to mix it up fast and get it right into the prepared pan.

We hope you enjoy the recipe!