Eggnog fudge is the sort of thing you make in December with a few people in mind. There’s a plate for the neighbors, a tin for the mail carrier, and something to take to work and leave beside the other treats people have brought in.
This is creamy white chocolate fudge with vanilla and rum flavor and a sprinkle of nutmeg over the top. The pale, smooth squares taste like the holiday drink, but there’s no eggnog in the pan. That’s what lets them set firmly enough to cut and pack.
How This Fudge Gets Its Eggnog Flavor
Vanilla and rum extract give the fudge its flavor, and nothing about them stops it from setting. You get the taste you’re after and a batch that holds its shape once chilled.
I tested it with eggnog added because it seemed like the obvious ingredient to use, especially with a carton already open in the refrigerator.
Photo #1: Eggnog fudge test batch made with eggnog, too soft to hold its shape when cut.
Photo #2: Eggnog fudge test batch made without eggnog, cut into firm squares with nutmeg on top.
Those batches were still soft the next day, even after a full night of chilling. More time in the refrigerator did not fix them. There was no pour small enough to get the flavor without that happening, which is why this recipe uses extracts.
Keep The Pieces Small, And Cut Them Cold
On a Christmas tray, a square of fudge is usually sharing a plate with a cookie or two and whatever else catches someone’s eye. I keep these pieces small so someone can try one without taking a large helping of something rich.
For more festive fudge recipes…
Take a look at our candy cane fudge and this bright red and green Christmas fudge.
The sweetness comes mostly from the white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk, and there isn’t a separate measure of sugar to reduce. Cutting back on either of those would change the fudge itself.
Do the cutting straight from the refrigerator, while the slab is cold and firm. Once it sits out and softens, the knife can drag and round off the corners. Cutting it all in one go while it’s cold gives you neat squares ready for the tray or tin.
Make It Ahead And Keep It Airtight
If you know you’ll be visiting or taking treats to work next week, you can have the fudge ready before the day gets busy. Keep it in an airtight container with parchment or waxed paper between the layers so the pieces lift out separately.
Stored in an airtight container, eggnog fudge holds at room temperature for up to two weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to a month.
- You can pack it directly into the gift tin once it has set and been cut, provided the tin closes airtight.
- A decorative box or a cellophane bag will not, so those go around a sealed container rather than holding the pieces themselves.
- Mini cupcake liners are another option for keeping individual squares separate. With the nutmeg already on top, there’s no decorating left to do before you hand it over.
Pro Tip: Add a small tag with the flavor, the date you made it, how to store it, and an eat-by date two weeks on from the day it was made. The person opening the tin may never see this recipe, and the fudge may already have spent several days in your kitchen.
Freeze A Batch For Later
For gifts or gatherings further into December, you can freeze the fudge for up to two months. Freeze the slab whole rather than cutting it first, wrapped tightly and then in a freezer bag or airtight container so it does not dry out.
Let it thaw in the refrigerator before you cut it and arrange it in gift tins. That way you can make the fudge when you have time and leave the cutting and packing until closer to the day you need it.
Sending It In The Mail
Fudge travels well in a box, because the sugar in it keeps the fudge stable without refrigeration. Pack it the way you would a gift tin, airtight with the layers separated, then set that container inside a sturdy box and fill the space around it so nothing shifts on the way.
Send it at the start of the week so it isn’t sitting in a sorting facility over the weekend, and take the faster service if there’s a choice. There’s no need to freeze it first or send it with a cold pack, because that’s the routine for perishable food and fudge isn’t in that group.
Mail it soon after you cut it rather than near the end of its two weeks, so most of that window is still ahead of whoever opens the box. The tag matters more here than on a tin you hand over yourself, since they have no way of knowing how long it has been travelling.
More Fudge Recipes
This holiday fudge makes great homemade holiday gifts. Add it to a fancy cookie tin along with our marshmallow fudge and tiger fudge for a trio of flavors.
Eggnog Fudge
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped white chocolate, from eight 4-ounce baking bars (Ghirardelli brand)
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk, 14 ounces each
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus additional sprinkle for garnish
Instructions
- Line a straight-sided 9×9 inch pan with parchment, leaving enough overhang on the sides to lift the set fudge out whole.
- Put the chopped white chocolate and the sweetened condensed milk in a large microwave safe bowl and stir until they are combined, then rest the unsalted butter on top. Combining the chocolate and milk before any heat goes in is what keeps the white chocolate from seizing, because a batch this size takes more bursts in the microwave than a small one does.
- Heat on high for 1 minute. Stir, then continue in 30 second bursts, stirring after each one, until no lumps remain and the mixture runs smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract, rum extract and ground nutmeg, and stir them through until the mixture looks even.
- Scrape the mixture into the lined pan and spread it level, right out to the corners. Tap the pan against the counter once or twice to bring up any air bubbles trapped in the fudge.
- Sprinkle a little more ground nutmeg over the surface if you want it, then refrigerate 3 hours, or up to overnight, until the fudge is set all the way through.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the slab onto a board, then cut it into 1×1 inch squares. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- It is best to use a high quality white chocolate baking bar (such as Ghirardelli or Lindt brands) for the best flavor and texture of fudge.
- The combination of vanilla, rum extract and nutmeg give this fudge a wonderful eggnog flavor profile. For more intense eggnog flavor, you can substitute the vanilla and rum extracts for an eggnog flavoring. You will want to start with 1 teaspoon eggnog flavoring and increase as desired.
- Do not substitute the sweetened condensed milk for any other types of canned or fresh milk. It will alter the final results of the fudge.
- For a larger serving size, you can cut the fudge into 36 (1.5×1.5 inch) pieces.
- For a smaller batch, halve all of the ingredients and use an 8×8 inch pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours. A half batch cuts into 64 (1×1 inch) pieces.
- For another homemade gift that packs the same way, try peppermint bark, or pick a few more from these 40 fudge recipes.
Comments
G Shellye Horowitz says
Tastes AMAZING!!! Do you think it will hold up if I ship it in a box to relatives… So out of the fridge a few days??
Layne Kangas says
So glad you enjoyed it! I’m not sure how well it would hold up in shipping!