Fruit and Nut Fudge

My own chewy creation
(The picture does not do this recipe justice )

Ingredients

•  397g can condensed milk  
•  150ml milk  
•  450g brown sugar / two cups 
•  115g butter / half stick 
•  1/4 cup chopped raisins 
•  1/4 cup chopped glazed cherries 
•  3/4 cup chunky peanut butter (alternatively use 1/2 cup chopped peanuts)

 Directions

• Place milks, butter and sugar into a non-stick saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. 
• Bring to the boil then simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring continuously and scraping the base of the pan.At this stage add peanut butter, raisins and cherries. To test if its ready, drop a little of the mixture into a cup of cold water. The mixture should hold tightly and feel hard when touched. Or check with a sugar thermometer if you have one (approx 118°C). 
• Remove from the heat and beat the fudge until very thick and starting to set (about 10-15 minutes). I normally just keep it on low heat until it starts to thicken.
• Once thickened, pour into 20cm tin lined with parchment paper or butter and leave to cool before cutting into squares.

Enjoy.

Sugar-free and Vegan Raspberry Fudge

 

A great alternative to the traditional sugar fudge courtesy Gormadize

 

Ingredients

2 cups dessicated coconut, unsweetened

1 ripe banana (the more ripe the better), chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 pinch cinnamon

3/4 cup whole fresh or frozen raspberries

To Make

1. Put the coconut in a food processor and churn to make coconut butter. The length will depend on your food processor. If you have a regular food processor it should take about 10-12 minutes. If you have one of those super fancy new-fangled type ones then I think it will take about 5 minutes (I only have a standard food processor - so mine took about 12 minutes). In any case just keep an eye on it, scrape down the sides regularly and then stop it when you have a mixture about the consistency of peanut butter. Note: if you do it for a bit longer it will turn runny - this is fine too, as it will set later the same consistency).

 

2. Add the vanilla, cinnamon and chopped banana and process again until it makes a thick but smooth paste.

 

3. Remove the blade and stir through the raspberries with a spoon - gently, so that they stay as whole as possible.

 

4. Take a smallish square container (plastic is fine - I hypothesise that silicone would be great as it will be easier to get the fudge out of) and spoon the fudge into it. Press it down with the back of a spoon as if it were a slice and smooth it over on the top.

 

5 Put in the freezer for 10 minutes.

 

6. Remove, slice and eat. 

It truly is "a perfect after dinner snack".