{recipe} Pumpkin Fudge, Four Ways in One Pan

Are you from a picky family? I am. My Mom won’t touch any nut (besides an almond) with a 10 foot pole, while my Dad thinks that candy without nuts is like a body without a soul. There are lovers and haters of white, milk, and dark chocolate. And don’t even get me started on raisins.

Of course, I could just make a different recipe for each member of the family, but that’s not always the most practical thing to do. So in this case I decided to adapt a recipe for pumpkin fudge from Brown Eyed Baker, and make 4 variations in the same pan. Each quadrant will appeal to a different family member, but I only have to make the fudge one time and dirty out one pan. It’s win win win win.

I am a big fan of pumpkin, cinnamon, and dark chocolate together, so I made half the recipe with white chocolate as it calls for, and half with dark chocolate. Then I carefully poured each type into one side of a 9×13 pan, then pressed nuts into half of each kind. This yields a quarter pan each (or about 12 small squares) of pumpkin fudge, pumpkin pecan fudge, chocolate pumpkin fudge, and chocolate hazelnut pumpkin fudge. Of course, you can use whatever kind of nuts you like. Heck, I probably should have found a little corner to throw some coconut on for my coco-crazy brother-in-law. Next time.

Now I just have to find another kind of fudge to make for the sister who can’t stand pumpkin!

Pumpkin Fudge, Four Ways in One Pan
makes one 9×13 pan, 48 small squares or 36 larger squares. You need a candy thermometer for this.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 12 Tblsp butter, cut in pieces
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 7 oz. marshmallow creme
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• handful each of pecan halves and chopped hazelnuts, toasted

METHOD:

• Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray or line with foil, allowing to hang over the edges for easy removal.
• Put white chocolate in a mixing bowl, and dark chocolate in a smaller bowl. Put both bowls next to the stove.
• Put both sugars, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin, spices, and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a full boil. Cook until the mixture reaches about 235 degrees F, which will take about 10-15 minutes.
• When mixture reaches 235, turn off the heat. Quickly stir in marshmallow creme and vanilla.
• Carefully pour half the mixture into the bowl with the white chocolate and stir with a heat-proof spatula or whisk to melt the chocolate. Add the dark chocolate to the remaining mixture in the pot and stir to melt. (At this stage it’s nice if you have a helper, but if not, you can do one in each hand.)
• Pour lighter fudge into one side of prepared pan. Pour darker fudge into the other side. Smooth with a spatula. When cool enough to touch but still warm enough to manipulate, firmly press hazelnuts into half of chocolate side and pecans into half of white chocolate side.
• Let cool for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate overnight before cutting and serving.