Peppermint Candy Fudge

This is Christmas in candy form: deep chocolate fudge shot through with cool, crackly peppermint. The mint isn’t an extract here, it’s actual peppermint stick candy, finely ground and boiled right into the sugar base so the flavor melts all the way through every bite.

Like the best holiday fudge, it skips the candy thermometer. Marshmallow creme stirred in off the heat does the work, melting into the hot chocolate to guarantee a smooth, creamy set with no grainy crystallization.

The one rule is the boil: bring the sugar, ground candy, evaporated milk, and butter to a boil and keep it going, stirring, for a full five minutes. That’s what sets the fudge. Off the heat, the chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, and vanilla go in and stir to a glossy finish. A foil sling lets you lift the whole slab out and cut tidy squares for the cookie tin.

Pro Tips

• Grind the peppermint candy fine so it dissolves into the base and flavors the fudge evenly instead of leaving hard shards.
• Keep the boil going for the full five minutes; that timed cook is what lets the fudge firm up.
• Reserve a little crushed candy to scatter on top before chilling for a festive red-and-white finish.

Variations

• Use crushed candy canes in place of the peppermint sticks, especially around the holidays.
• Stir in a few drops of peppermint extract for an even bolder, cooler mint hit.