One day this week, I was on Twitter when I noticed something funny. There were quite a few jokes about the “pumpkin craze” that goes on throughout the fall. I don’t know how that could be a bad thing! I honestly can’t remember the last time I had something pumpkin flavored that I didn’t like. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes. You name it, I probably love it. So, I sat down and started brainstorming. What do I love to eat? What have I not seen a pumpkin-ized version of?
My family absolutely loves fudge. My grandma has an amazing butterscotch and milk chocolate fudge recipe that we make every Christmas. I think I was 13 when my mom taught me how to make it for the first time. It turned out great, and I have been the go to fudge-maker in the family ever since. One cool thing I learned during this lesson from my mom was that all fudges have the same base. Sugar, butter, evaporated milk, marshmallow crème, your choice of chocolate and fillings, and voila! You have a perfect pan of fudge.
I thought I would try making some sort of pumpkin fudge, and join the pumpkin craze (I’m not a hipster, so I’m not afraid to be a trend follower). I thought white chocolate fudge would be ideal for allowing the pumpkin taste to shine through. In the recipe below, the nuts are optional. However, I highly recommend adding them. The smoky flavor from toasting the pecans offsets the super sweet fudge.
White Chocolate Pumpkin Pecan Fudge
Ingredients
- 3 cups white sugar
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 7 oz. jar of marshmallow crème
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 12 ounce package white chocolate chips
- ¾ cup toasted pecans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. I recommend using a glass dish.
- Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin, marshmallow crème, and pumpkin spice in a medium sized saucepan. Stir over medium heat until all of the sugar has dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil for 5 minutes without stirring. If the mixture looks like it is going to boil over, turn the heat down.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and mix in the entire package of white chocolate chips, pecans, and vanilla extract. Mix until the chocolate chips are completely melted into the fudge base.
- Pour mixture into greased pan, and chill for 2-4 hours. Fudge will be firm when it is ready. Cut into 30-40 squares and store in the fridge.
