Layered gingerbread fudge

An old-fashioned sweet treat!

I’ve always loved making and eating fudge and recently wondered if including molasses in a batch would be tasty. It turns out to have been an excellent idea and I’ll definitely be treating all my pumpkin spice latte loving friends to a sample or two. To make this fudge, be sure to use an 8×8 inch pan, not a 9×9 one as your pieces will be too thin. You can use a small cookie cutter to create fancy shapes, or simply cut the fudge into small squares. Note that if you want to speed up the process of making this treat, you can skip the layering and just combine all the ingredients in a larger bowl placed over a pot with water and transfer the whole mixture, once melted and smooth, into the prepared pan. If you’re looking for additional foolproof candy recipes, check out my maple fudge, bacon-infused caramels, and fresh fruit lollipops. If baking’s more your thing, another festive treat that’s great for Valentine’s Day (or any day, for that matter), is my ‘sealed with a kiss’ cookie recipe.   

Ingredients

• One 14 ounce (300mL) can sweetened condensed milk (not low-fat)
• 3 1/4 cups (585g) white chocolate baking chips, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons (45ml) fancy molasses
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Method

• Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to be able to lift the finished fudge out of the pan. I like to use two strips, each cut to the exact width of the bottom of the pan, so there are no wrinkles from having to fold the paper to fit. Set aside.
• Combine condensed milk and 3 cups (540g) of white chocolate baking chips in a medium sized heatproof bowl that has been placed over a saucepan with about 2 inches (5 cm) of water in it – the bowl should be just large enough to hang over the sides of the pot and not touch the water.
• Turn heat on to medium high then reduce heat to medium once water is steaming. Stir the mixture constantly until the baking chips are melted. Once the mixture is smooth, remove the pot from heat (leave the bowl sitting on the pot so mixture does not cool down) and stir in the vanilla.
• Transfer half of the condensed milk mixture to a smaller sized bowl placed over a smaller saucepan, also with water in the saucepan, and place it over medium heat. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup (45g) of white chocolate chips and all the other ingredients (molasses and spices) over medium heat; keep stirring until the white chocolate chips have melted and mixture is smooth.
• Spread a thin layer of the white mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Next, pour a thin layer of the gingerbread mixture on top. Repeat these layers until you’ve emptied both bowls.
• Place the pan in the refrigerator. After about an hour, once the pan feels cool to the touch, cover it with plastic wrap or foil and continue to refrigerate until completely set (6+ hours; I usually leave it overnight).
• Once the mixture is set, lift it out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper. Cut into small pieces and enjoy cold or at room temperature. Fudge is best stored in the fridge for 2-3 weeks, in an airtight container, but can be left at room temperature for up to 6 hours before serving.

Makes one 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) pan.