Fantasy Fudge
A classic marshmallow fudge with chocolate chips, boiled for 4 minutes and set in a tin for 2 hours.
Fantasy Fudge: Step by Step
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Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper.
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Stir the sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in a heavy pan over medium heat until it comes to a rolling boil.
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Boil for exactly 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Off the heat, stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallow cream and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
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Pour into the tin and chill for 2 hours. Cut into 36 squares.
Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.
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Things to Watch For
- Time the boil exactly: 4 minutes.
- Use a heavy pan with high sides.
- Oil the knife for clean cuts.
A Little Background
Fantasy Fudge was printed on the back of a jar of marshmallow cream in the 1970s and became an American Christmas fixture for decades. The recipe is a sugar syrup boiled with butter and evaporated milk, then poured over chocolate chips and marshmallow cream. It makes a smooth, rich, creamy fudge that sets without a sugar thermometer.
The only part that needs care is the boil. Stir the sugar, butter and evaporated milk constantly over medium heat until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil, which means a boil that does not stop when you stir it. Then keep it boiling for exactly 4 minutes, stirring all the while. Too short and the fudge never sets; too long and it turns grainy and hard.
Use a heavy-based pan with high sides. The mixture bubbles up dramatically, and a thin pan can scorch the sugar on the bottom. Scrape the sides down with a wet pastry brush if sugar crystals form, which can cause the fudge to crystallise and go gritty.
Off the heat, stir in the chocolate chips and marshmallow cream until smooth and glossy, then pour into a lined tin immediately. It starts to set within minutes. Chill for 2 hours and cut into squares with a sharp, oiled knife. Chopped walnuts are optional.
On the Table Alongside
Hot chocolate · Coffee · Hot tea · Walnuts
Storing Leftovers
Keeps in an airtight container for 2 weeks.
Questions People Ask
How long does Fantasy Fudge take to make?
10 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hours of Chilling, so allow 2 hours 20 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 36.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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