Chocolate and peppermint go together like bread and butter. Peppermint Chunk Fudge is the perfect unison of them both; consider this fudge recipe a gift from me to you!
It’s Christmas Eve, Dear Reader! And, you know what that means: Yours truly, Lord Byron, has successfully completed the mission of posting one Christmas cookie recipe every day for 24 consecutive days. There you have it! Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas is finishing up with a very easy Peppermint Chunk Fudge recipe!
Wow! What a ride this has been! There were times, I must say, that I became rather frustrated with some of the back end work associated with blogging, but never once did I tire of preparing the recipes or taking the photographs. Really, I had so much fun with the photos. Christmas photos allow for much more creativity in terms of whimsy. I wish photographing soup was so easy!
STUMPED BY A SQUARE PLATE
There are two things that I have yet to figure out when it comes to taking what I consider to be decent photos. The first, my dear, is how to properly photograph anything on a square plate. I cannot for the life of me find the right angle or set up for a square plate. The recipe for day 5, the Newfoundland Five Star Cookie Bars, were on a square plate. Some of the shots were good enough, but not all.
I know a fellow blogger, Whitney, over at That Square Plate, who has mastered food photography on square plates. She has got it down! My photos never seem to quite make me happy.
The second thing that I cannot figure out is how to properly photograph dishes that are piping hot – like soup! I love making soup, and all three of us love to eat soup, and there are many soup recipes at Lord Byron’s Kitchen, but I struggle to take photographs.
Another great blogger, Brian, whom you can find at Krumpli, is an amazing food photographer! He can manage to capture the steam billowing up from his piping hot soups and stews. I’d go knock on his door and ask for private lessons if I weren’t in Canada and he in Hungary!
MORE CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES!
Did you know that I’ve been posting a 24 Cookies of Christmas series for a few years now? There are over 100 Christmas cookie recipes that you can find right here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen! To make it easier to find, I have created a page for each series. Just click on the image below and you’ll find the full series for that volume all one page!
WHICH COOKIES MADE YOUR LIST?
Anyway, I digress. So, Dear Reader, in truth, how many of these cookies did you make? And, if you made more than one of the cookies in the series, what was your favourite? Was there any that you didn’t care for? I think the biggest complaint I’ve had so far is that too many of the recipes contained coconut. I think my friend, Margaret, put them up to it. She’s really does not like coconut!
I’m happy to report that some of the cookies were shared with family and friends, but in truth, most of the cookies were taken to John.e’s work. If any of his coworkers gained weight over the holidays, I hope they blame John.e and not me! Most of the Peppermint Chunk Fudge we kept for ourselves though!
2018 HAS BEEN QUITE THE RIDE!
As I sit here, finishing up the last few paragraphs of what can only be described as a crazy/memorable adventure in holiday baking, I can’t help but think about how great this year has been for Lord Byron’s Kitchen. Thanks to all of you, I have increased my readership, increased the number of subscribers, and have posted recipes that have long been a part of my life, but I had never gotten the chance to write down.
In addition, I my recipes have been re-published in magazines, in newspapers, journals, and on other websites. Sponsored work has become more frequent, and food companies are asking me to work with them rather than me seeking out companies to work with. That’s such a blessing! On January 1st, I’ll publish a list of my top 10 recipes of 2018. Take a look and be sure to keep a list of any of the best recipes of the year you might have missed!
So, what’s next for Lord Byron’s Kitchen? Right now, I’m going to relax for the next few days, and I hope you do the same! I’m going to be thankful for a wonderful 2018 and make plans for 2019. I’m going to eat a little too much. I might even stay in my pajamas for an entire day! And, I’m for sure going to watch way too much Netflix!
2019 will bring new challenges as well. But, I’m looking forward to it and I’m embracing challenges with open arms and an open mind.
Lastly, Dear Reader, it doesn’t matter if you celebrate Christmas for religious reasons or not, and it doesn’t matter if you celebrate it early in the New Year or not at all. Lord Byron’s Kitchen is and always will be an all-inclusive home. I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Holiday, a Joyous Season, and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. But most of all, I wish you peace and love, and of course, delicious food!
– Byron
MORE CHRISTMAS CONFECTIONS!
In some cases, we want more than a cookie. That’s why I have two more Christmas-themed collections you might want to consider. The first, is my 12 Bundt Cakes of Christmas, and the second is my 12 Biscotti of Christmas. Click on the image below to see each collection all on one page with links to each recipe!
Peppermint Chunk Fudge
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups Ghirardelli Peppermint Chunks, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 4 tablespoons candy canes, crushed
- 2 tablespoons candy sprinkles
Instructions
- Using a handheld mixer, blend together the butter, both sugars, peppermint extract, and milk until well incorporated.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Stir in the peppermint chunks and two tablespoons of the crushed candy canes. Set mixture aside.
- Line a 9″x9″ pan with parchment paper, leaving about two inches of paper sticking out over the pan. This will help to lift out the fudge when set.
- Press the mixture evenly into the pan, being sure to get into the corners. Once pressed, I used a small plastic drinking tumbler as a mini rolling pin to even out the surface as much as possible. Set aside.
- In the meantime, over a double boiler, melt together the chocolate chips and the coconut oil until melted and smooth.
- Pour over the cookie dough and smooth evenly over the surface
- Top with extra peppermint chunks and the remaining crushed candy canes.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours until set. Allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition
Taylor says
These look super delicious and perfect for Christmas baking!