More Chocolate Fudge

American’s have had a love affair with chocolate fudge since it’s creation back on February 14, 1886. What started out as a bungled bunch of caramels has become the sweetheart of chocolate candy confections – and kind of fits that it was accidentally discovered on Valentine’s Day. Whereas pralines are considered a southern candy delicacy, chocolate fudge has its roots strongly tied to New England in the woman’s colleges. From there it grew and took on many different variations and flavors. We here in the south put our own spin on chocolate fudge, adding pecans to the mixture:

Chocolate Fudge Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 squares unsweetened (2 ounces) chocolate
1/4 cup milk
dash salt
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preparation:

Directions for chocolate fudge. Melt chocolate over very low heat. Add milk and salt; stir well. Stir in sugar and bring to a full boil over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring only once or twice, until mixture forms a soft ball -- about 235° -- in about 1/2 cup cold water; remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla and stir to blend well. Stir in walnuts. Beat well with a large wooden spoon until mixture begins to thicken, then pour quickly into a buttered pie plate. Refrigerate; cut into squares when chocolate fudge is set.Makes about 1 pound of chocolate fudge with nuts

And for a very yummy variation of chocolate fudge – try it in a cheesecake. So delicious!

Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake

Ingredients
· 1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans
· 4 (1-ounce) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
· 1 cup butter, softened
· 2 cups sugar
· 4 large eggs
· 1 cup all-purpose flour
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
· 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
· 1 3/4 cups sugar
· 7 large eggs
· 2 teaspoons vanilla
· 2 Chocolate Glaze*
· Garnishes: fresh mint sprigs, sliced strawberries


Preparation
Sprinkle 1/2 cup pecans evenly over the bottom of each of 2 greased and floured 9-inch springform pans.
Microwave chocolate squares in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 1/2 minutes, stirring at 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth.
Beat butter and 2 cups sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
Add flour, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and chocolate morsels. Divide batter evenly between pans, spreading over chopped pecans.
Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; add 1 3/4 cups sugar, beating until blended. Add 7 eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Divide cream cheese mixture evenly between each pan, spreading over brownie batter.
Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; cool completely on wire racks.
Spread top of each cooled cheesecake with 1 recipe Chocolate Glaze; cover and chill 8 hours. Remove sides of pans before serving. Garnish, if desired.
Note: We topped each cheesecake with 1 full recipe of Chocolate Glaze. For a thinner layer of chocolate on top, divide 1 recipe of glaze between the two cakes.

*Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup whipping cream
Preparation
Melt 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels and 1/2 cup whipping cream in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.