Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!! We are so blessed to be celebrating the birth of our Christ with our families in Illinois. We have slept in and finally washed all the paint from underneath our fingernails. We have had the chance to see friends, hug our families, and relax without the pressure of the new house to-do list. It doesn’t get much better than this. But this fudge comes close. Like real close.

I love all things cookie dough, not brand new information to anyone. I saw this recipe and did a little googling to check out the different variations out there in the internet world. There are a couple versions floating out there in cyber space, some of which have you making cookie dough as a separate step. I have a feeling that these recipes turn out a product that has a bit more cookie dough taste to it, I may have to try them some day. I, however, am lazy. Again, not new information. I chose the recipe that was contained all in one process. The final product is definitely a mix of fudge and the essence of cookie dough. The brown sugar is the first thing you’ll notice, it’s so delish. It makes great gifts or a festive treat to put out for company. I was intimidated by some of the steps but now that I have made it, I have altered the directions to reflect a bit simpler process that anyone can master. Have fun!

Start with a pot. Add brown sugar, white sugar, corn syrup, milk, heavy cream, and salt. Stir to combine and melt the sugar. Heat until the mixture reaches 242 on your candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and add flour, vanilla, and butter. Stir to combine. Now, being a rookie, I spent much too long trying to get the lumps out of my mixture, until I realized that one of the next steps was to thrown the combination in my mixer. Once you beat this bad boy, the flour will incorporate and the lumps with come out.

Ok, here’s where I’m changing the directions. The directions in the original recipe say to pour this mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan and let it cool until it reaches 110 before putting it in the mixer and beating. I do not understand this step. It dirties an extra pan and is a pain to scrape out of the pan. Skip this, pour this mixture from the pot into your stand mixer and turn on low at first, it will still be very hot. Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium until it holds its shape and is smooth in texture. Pour into an 8×8 pan lined with foil or parchment paper. Top with mini chocolate chips and let sit. 

I threw mine in the fridge….because I’m inpatient. Again, not new information. It set up within 30-60 minutes and was delicious. Serve it to the kids, take it to the neighbors, hide it in your underwear drawer and eat it when everyone else is sleeping. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

Recipe adapted slightly from Pink Parsley 

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 c. sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1 Tbs corn syrup
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

• In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the sugars, cream, milk, corn syrup and salt.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 242 degrees (ie the soft-ball stage).  Remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and flour.
• Pour this mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer. Start on low while it’s still very hot and slowly increase the speed to medium. Beat until it thickens and holds its shape. Transfer the fudge to the prepared 8×8 inch dish lined with parchment paper or foil and smooth the top with a spatula.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top, pressing them lightly into the fudge.
• Allow to set at least 2 hours or throw it in the fridge for 1 hour to short cut that process. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.