DARK CHOCOLATE BOURBON FUDGE
easy, boozy fudge for your favorite bourbon-loving friend.
SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER | QUANTITY: 16-20
LISTS
GROCERY LIST:
1 ¼ stick | Unsalted Butter
14 ounces | Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup | Turbinado Sugar
1 tablespoon | Light Corn Syrup
¼ teaspoon | Kosher Salt
1-2 tablespoons | Sea Salt Flakes
Brand recommendation - Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
½ | Vanilla Bean
10 ounces | 72% Dark Chocolate Chips
Brand recommendation - Ghirardelli 72% Dark Chocolate Chips
4 ounces | Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bar
Brand recommendation - Baker's Unsweetened 100% Cacao Baking Chocolate Bar
¼ cup | Bourbon
Brand recommendation - Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
KITCHENWARE:
18x13-inch Baking Sheets
8x8-inch Baking Dish
Large Heat-resistant Bowl
Measuring Spoons & Cups & Whisk
PREP
Helpful tips!
The bourbon salt needs at least 8 hours to dehydrate so do this the night before!
BAKE
BOURBON SUGAR:
1 cup | Turbinado Sugar
2 tablespoons | Bourbon
FUDGE:
½ | Vanilla Bean
14 ounces | Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 ¼ stick | Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons | Bourbon
1 tablespoon | Light Corn Syrup
¼ teaspoon | Kosher Salt
4 ounces | Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bar
10 ounces | 72% Dark Chocolate Chips
TOPPING:
1-2 tablespoons | Sea Salt Flakes
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 170° F and place rack in the center of the oven.
Mix Trubinado sugar and bourbon until combined, like wet sand. Spread in a thin, even layer on prepared baking sheet and bake for 2 hours. Remove from oven and break apart with a fork. The sugar should be crystalized like rock candy. Turn oven off and place back in warm oven for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Remove dehydrated sugar from oven and use fork to scrape and break up in a variety of sizes. It should no longer be wet but instead completely crystalized sugar. Set aside.
Cut an 8x12-inch parchment paper rectangle and place inside baking dish so that two sides of the baking dish have parchment paper with an overhang. This will ensure an easy release! Set aside.
Slice vanilla bean down the middle and scrape seeds into a medium saucepan. Add sweetened condensed milk, butter, bourbon, corn syrup and salt. Set over burner but do not turn on yet!
Coarsely chop unsweetened chocolate bar. Add unsweetened chocolate and dark chocolate to a large heat-resistant bowl. Place bowl over a small pot of water. You shouldn’t need more than 2-inches of water and want to ensure the bottom of the bowl is not sitting in the water.
Turn both burners for vanilla-milk, bourbon mixture and chocolate on a low setting. Whisk the chocolate frequently until melted. Using a spatula move the vanilla-milk, bourbon mixture around until butter is melted and ingredients are combined. You do not want to boil either mixture and want them to both be just barely hot.
Remove vanilla bean from the vanilla-milk, bourbon mixture. Remove the bowl with chocolate from the pot of boiling water. Add the vanilla-milk, bourbon mixture to the chocolate in 4 parts, whisking after each part until combined. After the 3rd addition, it might start to look grainy or separated, just keep whisking. After the last amount of vanilla-milk bourbon mixture is added the fudge should come together and be glossy, smooth and thick.
Pour fudge into prepared baking dish, spreading evenly with an offset spatula. Sprinkle a generous amount of bourbon sugar, I only use about ½ cup and save the rest at room temperature for ice cream, espresso or other sweet treats. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Once cooled, chill in fridge for at least 4 hours before cutting.
Serve immediately or store leftovers in wrapped plastic or airtight container in fridge.
