Pumpkin Fudge Two Ways

Friday 7 October 2011

Pumpkin Fudge Two Ways

I like making fudges because you can cram a lot of extra goodies into them and they still tend to turn out pretty well. Some candies are a bit more finnicky--I'm looking in your direction, marshmallows--and you have to be careful about making substitutions or additions or the whole texture will be thrown off. Not so with most "no-fail" fudges made with marshmallow cream and chips--as long as you keep your additions within reason, they can absorb lots of extra flavors and ingredients and still turn out fan-fudgin'-fantastic.

Since it's officially pumpkin season, here are two of my favorite pumpkin fudge recipes. First up is the classic: Pumpkin Praline Fudge. I added the "praline" to reference the brown sugar and pecan flavors in the fudge, but in all honesty it mostly tastes like straight-up pumpkin pie. You can add more spices if you want, or try using candied nuts, or bits of chopped ginger, instead of regular nuts. I've also made a video showing how to make this pumpkin fudge, for those who like a little drool-o-vision before cooking.

Next is an even easier recipe: Pumpkin Butterscotch Fudge. This one is quite sweet, thanks to the butterscotch chips, but these chips contribute more than just sugar; they add the unmistakable taste of sweet, caramel butterscotch. I've added a little sour cream to try and balance the sweetness, and nuts would be another good addition.