Melissa has a special talent for taking some of your favorite special treats and giving them a little healthy twist. Her Trail Mix Cookie Fudge is a prime example... ;)
Don’t strike me down, but I never liked fudge. I didn’t like how rich it was and never felt a need to feel that sick after eating a treat. But, lately, certain aspects of fudge have started appealing to me. I don’t want the kind that is so sugary that you drop into a coma, but a small, satisfying piece of chocolate sounds quite nice. Instead of the usual mix-in suspects (peanut butter, walnuts, etc), I decided to make mine sing of the flavors of trail mix cookies! Plus, with the easy method I’ve used to make the fudge (no tempering, candy thermometers, or hassle here!), you will want to make up a batch for your next get-together!
Trail Mix Cookie Fudge
(makes 32 pieces)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I use Scharffen Berger 62%)
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk, fat free
3 Tbs. old fashioned oats, toasted*
¼ cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
2 Tbs. dry roasted peanuts
3 Tbs. craisins
2 Tbs. unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted
*toasting the oats is optional, but it adds more depth of
flavor and it gives a subtle “baked cookie” taste to the finished fudge. Turn
your oven on broil, sprinkle the oats on a foil-lined cookie sheet, and toast
the oats, watching constantly, until they begin to smell slightly nutty. TIP:
after the oats are toasted, pour them into a bowl to cool, and then put the coconut
on the same baking sheet and toast it next. Then all of your toasting is done!
~Line an 8x8” baking dish with parchment or foil and spray
with nonstick spray.
~In a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, microwave the
chocolate at half-power until melted (about 2 min, stirring intermittently;
*feel free to melt the chocolate over a double-boiler if you prefer). When the
chocolate is melted, stir in the sweetened condensed milk. Then, quickly stir
in all of your mix-ins. Use a silicone spatula to help pour all of the fudge
mixture into your prepared baking dish, smoothing the top and making sure the
fudge is even.
~Let set in the fridge for a couple hours before cutting. Use
the parchment or foil to lift the block of fudge out of the dish, then cut into
32 equal pieces (I cut mine into 16 squares then cut each square into two
triangle pieces, but you can cut yours however you please). Share with all of
your friends!
Strike up a conversation: What would you put into your ideal batch of fudge?