Maple pecan is one of my favorite flavor combinations…and creamy, melt-in-your-mouth maple pecan fudge is truly one of life’s great gifts! Since I was already in fudge-making mode due to yesterday’s trial of eggnog fudge, I’ve decided to make my winter’s supply of maple pecan fudge and store it in the freezer for a sweet treat when the holidays roll around.
Fudge is not even my favorite confection, that distinction goes to milk chocolate-covered cherry cordials….mmmm! However, I cannot pass up homemade maple pecan fudge, just as I love maple walnut ice cream, and maple pecan sticky buns…hmmm I see a pattern here. Perhaps in another life I was a maple tree?
MAPLE PECAN FUDGE
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- scant 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup real maple syrup (grade B amber has more flavor)
- 1 1/2 cup white chocolate pieces
- 1 1/2 cup toasted pecans, cooled and chopped
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Butter 8″ dish. I also lay two strips of parchment paper crosswise in the pan with plenty of overlap, then butter those as well, to make removal of the solid fudge easier later.
Generously butter the inside of a 4 qt saucepan (to allow sugar crystals to slide down into the mixture as it heats up).
Combine sugars, cream, butter, salt and maple syrup in saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over medium low heat, stirring with wooden spoon gently just until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
Now insert candy thermometer and continue to heat without stirring to 235 degrees, ~ 20-25 minutes.
In mixing bowl, combine white chocolate pieces and vanilla.
Immediately upon reaching 235 degrees, remove the hot sugar syrup from the heat and pour it over the white chocolate in the mixing bowl. Quickly whisk to melt the white chocolate.
Now re-insert the candy thermometer and let stand to cool down to 110 degrees without further stirring, ~40-50 minutes.
At this point, remove the thermometer and beat until the fudge becomes very thick and starts to lose its gloss, ~ 10 minutes.
Stir in pecans. Immediately pour into buttered dish.
Allow to cool for several hours, or overnight in refrigerator. Using parchment, lift solid fudge from the dish and cut into serving pieces.
Store, covered tightly. Freezeable.
BEST fudge I’ve ever had!!!
Awwww Cheryl…you are so sweet to say so! I know you’re looking forward to your Thanksgiving supply:) Fudge is, by its very nature, super sweet….just like you, my Dear!
I tasted it just to be sure, and the toasted pecans added a depth of flavor…toasting the nuts will also allow them to remain crunchy while they await your pleasure:) Not to worry, the rest of the batch is safely frozen away until Thanksgiving!
Yikes…you’ve made me realize that I’ve started my preparations for Thanksgiving already…and it isn’t even November 1st yet!!!! (A note of explanation to all and sundry here…every Thanksgiving our family and friends gather from all of our respective cities of residence and converge on Killington Mountain in Vermont for the week. In preparation for this wonderfully warm, much looked-forward to holiday, I start sending out family emails on November 1st…the day between my son and daughter’s birthdays, asking for input on each year’s Thanksgiving Day menu…now including my newest daughter’s birthday dinner menu as well. What follows is a flurry of 3 weeks worth of emails back & forth, regarding requests, suggestions, opinions, and remarks from everyone to everyone. Eventually, I am able to winnow out a menu approved by most, which is then circulated so that we can all anticipate the holiday with gustatory pleasure. This is a particular ritual which I look forward to each year, and consider it great fun. Stay tuned for this November’s dialogue as we hone out and piece together our latest favorite holiday menu. I invite everyone to join in the fun with remarks, recipes and suggestions as well…since this will be our first TrudysFoodies blogged Thanksgiving!)