100 DECEMBER 2020
FUDGE CAN BE FINICKY; STIR TOO LITTLE OR TOO LATE, AND IT CAN
GO GRAINY. THIS VERSION OVERCOMES THAT OBSTACLE WITH A
SURPRISE INGREDIENT—MARSHMALLOWS. THEIR GELATIN COATS
THE SUGAR CRYSTALS AS THEY FORM, RESULTING IN TINY
CRYSTALS THAT GIVE THIS CANDY ITS ULTRA-CREAMY TEXTURE.White Chocolate–Swirled
Malted Milk Fudge
ACTIVE 30 MIN; TOTAL 4 HR 30 MIN
MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN SQUARESEnhanced by the deep, roasted flavor of
espresso, dark cocoa gives this fudge a
rich chocolate flavor that’s perfectly bal-
anced with malted milk powder and
creamy white chocolate. Although it will
be tempting to sneak a piece of this fudge
as soon as it cools, the flavor is best after
it rests for at least one day.3 cups granulated sugar
2 /^3 cup Dutch-process cocoa blend
(such as Hershey’s Special Dark)
1 Tbsp. ground espresso beans (such
as Illy Classico Classic Roast
Espresso Preparation Ground
Coffee)
1 tsp. fine sea salt
11 / 2 cups whole milk
11 / 2 oz. white chocolate bar, chopped
4 oz. miniature marshmallows (about
21 / 4 cups)
1 / 3 cup malted milk powder, sifted
1 / 4 cup unsalted butter, plus more for
greasing aluminum foil, divided
2 tsp. vanilla extract- Line an 8-inch square baking dish with
heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing at
least a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Lightly
grease foil with butter; set dish aside.
2. Stir together sugar, cocoa blend,
ground espresso beans, and salt in a
heavy 5-quart saucepan. Stir in whole
milk until well combined. Bring mixture
to a rolling boil over medium, stirring
constantly, 12 to 16 minutes. Insert candy
thermometer; boil, without stirring, until
thermometer registers 234°F (soft-ball
stage), 12 to 16 minutes.
3. Place white chocolate in a small micro-
waveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH until
melted and smooth, about 40 seconds,
stirring every 15 seconds. Set aside.
4. Once cocoa mixture reaches 234°F,
remove from heat, and remove candy
thermometer. Add marshmallows, malted
milk powder, butter, and vanilla. Using a
wooden spoon, stir mixture until smooth
and thickened but still pourable, about 7
minutes. Pour mixture into prepared bak-
ing dish. Drizzle white chocolate over top,
and pull a small offset spatula through
mixture to create a swirled pattern. Let
cool, uncovered, at room temperature
until hardened, at least 4 hours or up to 8
hours or overnight.
5. Using foil overhang as handles, lift
fudge from baking dish; discard foil.
Transfer fudge to a cutting board, and cut
into 1^1 / 2 -inch squares. Serve immediately,
or store in an airtight container up to 2
weeks. —PAIGE GRANDJEAN
MAKE AHEAD Fudge can be stored in an
airtight container at room temperature up
to 2 weeks.
What’s the
grooviest
ingredient in
your pantry?Sugar is straight-up
wild, man—at least
when you turn up the
heat. Granulated sugar
(sucrose) is composed
of fructose and glucose
molecules, which, at
room temperature, are
all stuck together in a
neatly organized pat-
tern. But expose sugar
to heat, and those
molecules separate,
leaving the molten
sugar syrup in a woozy,
unstable state.
Sugar has an affinity
for its natural, orderly
crystalline structure;
if left to cool undis-
turbed, the molecules
will realign, stacking
into chunky, distinctly
visible crystals, like
the Peppermint Rock
Candy on p. 104. Stir-
ring the cooling sugar
syrup interrupts this
process; the sugar
forms tiny crystals
that are too small to
be detected on the
tongue, resulting in
candy with a smooth
and creamy mouth-
feel, like the fudge at
right. Introduce air
to the equation, and
the texture changes
completely, yielding
the crackly Pistachio-
Rose Brittle on p. 108;
stirring in fat also leads
to changes in texture
(see “Totally Tubular
Texture,” p. 107).
While certain ingre-
dients do impact the
texture of candy, the
most important factors
in the formation of dif-
ferent candies are tem-
perature and time (see
“The Six Sugar Stages,”
p. 103).FOOD STYLING: TORIE COX; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINE KEELY