Fudge Nougouts

Fudge nougats are the simpler, more forgiving cousin of traditional thermometer-required fudge. The recipe skips the candy thermometer entirely, relying instead on a 10-minute boil of sugar, butter, and evaporated milk to reach the right consistency. Once off the heat, melted chocolate chips, flour, graham cracker crumbs, chopped walnuts, and vanilla all stir in for a chewy, dense, deeply chocolatey candy.

The graham cracker crumbs and small amount of flour are what set this fudge apart from typical recipes. They give the finished candy a slightly toothsome bite and prevent the cloying sweetness that pure-sugar fudge can suffer from. Walnuts add nutty crunch and a slightly bitter complexity that balances the chocolate.

Meant to be cut into 24 squares and wrapped individually, this is candy made with gifting in mind. Wrap each piece in waxed paper or plastic wrap, tie a bunch with twine in a tin or jar, and you have homemade holiday presents that look as if you spent all day in the kitchen.

Pro Tips

• Boil the sugar mixture the full 10 minutes. Underboiling produces a too-soft, runny fudge that won’t set properly. Use a kitchen timer.
• Stir in the chocolate chips and other ingredients quickly while the sugar mixture is still hot. The residual heat melts the chips smoothly.
• Toast the chopped walnuts in a dry pan for 5 minutes before adding for richer, more pronounced nutty flavor.
• Cool completely before cutting. Warm fudge tears and crumbles; fully cool fudge cuts cleanly into neat squares.

Variations

• Substitute pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts for walnuts based on personal preference.
• Swap chocolate-graham crumbs for plain for a deeper chocolate fudge variation.
• Add a teaspoon of espresso powder with the chocolate chips for a mocha-fudge twist.