The first try with PB was a simple recipe. Melt soy butter, mix with 1 cup peanut butter, add chocolate chips and four (4!) cups of confectioners sugar. Um, I just couldn't do four. That might have been part of the downfall, but it was still sweet as all get out. Also, I had trouble getting all that sugar to mix smoothly--so the fudge had little pellets of sugar throughout. A cure for a sweet tooth for sure, but not what I was aiming for.
Numero two was more involved. Ingredients included coconut milk and coconut oil--it sounded promising. Here is the recipe:
4 1/2 cups turbinado sugar
12 ounces coconut milk(pure coconut milk with nothing added, i.e. Thai kitchen brand)
18 ounces vegan chocolate
1/2 lb extra virgin coconut oil
3 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 pinch sea salt
1 nuts, of your choice or raisins
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring to a boil the sugar and milk, and let it boil exactly six minutes, stirring constantly. (If you can do this over a double-boiler it will help you, but it isn’t required.).
# 2 In another pan or bowl, have the chocolate, oil, vanilla extract and salt ready. You can use chocolate chips or good quality bar chococate. The better the quality of chocolate, the better the fudge.
# 3 Pour hot mixture of sugar and milk over the other ingredients, and blend together until all the chocolate has melted.
# 4 Add nuts—whatever type you prefer, and in the size you prefer in fudge.
# 5 Pour into pan and set for six hours in the fridge until the fudge has set.
I got my goods and came home ready for some serious candy making. I followed the instructions closely... up until the part where the sugar and coconut milk came to a boil... and in under 3 seconds, it had gone from starting to boil to boiled over. Onto the eye of the stove with flames shooting up. Needless to say, I didn't make it the full six minutes asked for. I carried on, however, and here was the result after nearly 10 hours in the fridge:
*also pictured is the double boiler I found at the thrift store the next day.
It was a gooey, gooey mess. The texture was more of the chewed up Mound's candy bar variety, and when you lifted up the foil, the pan was filled with oil. I went to the thrift store for a bit of retail therapy and (que angelic choir) I saw a double boiler for a mere 4.00.
I read up that sometimes you can revive a batch that won't set up, by melting and adding more chocolate. Considering the amount of chocolate I had already invested, it seemed worth a try. I added a bit of soy butter (in hopes on downplaying the nearly overwhelming coconut flavor, as well as some dried cranberries and sliced almonds-in case I was more in the mood for Almond Joy?) and slowly stirred the mixture until it finally had a smooth texture. I then poured it in to a pan greased with vegetable shortening.
I let it chill in the fridge overnight and popped it into the freezer for a bit this morning.
It is still a little too soft to get out of the pan, I may have to cave and buy aluminum pans next try. The two cubes that got wrecked by the spatula I formed into balls and rolled in powdered sugar. All said and done, unfortunately, this fudge may have to be eaten by spoon.
I have one more attempt in me. I REALLY want to try carob fudge, but seeing how Brett isn't the biggest fan of carob, and I haven't yet produced a decent straight-up fudge. The next idea is to use soy creamer to replace evaporated milk, and maybe a vegan egg replacer and use an old fashioned Better Homes and Gardens formula. But, for now, I am chocolated out. Mainly because liquid chocolate is messy and gets everywhere, and I have liked more than a small amount off my fingers : )
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