Bourbon Fudge Food

BOURBON FUDGE

Steps:

• Combine chocolate chips and milk in large bowl and cover loosely.
• Cook in microwave for 3 minutes on HIGH.
• Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.
• Add bourbon and orange extract; mix well.
• Grease an 8-inch square pan and sprinkle bottom of pan with almonds.
• Pour mixture in pan; let stand until firm or chill in refrigerator.

KENTUCKY BOURBON FUDGE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cocoa until blended.
• Add milk and stir until blended.
• Add heat and slowly bring mixture to a boil. Allow mixture to boil up and dissolve sugar crystals on the sides of the pan.
• Boil until candy reaches the soft ball stage (230-240 degrees), stirring constantly.
• To test for "soft ball stage" drop a little of the candy mixture in clean, ice cold water. If you can roll it around with your finger and it holds together, it's ready.
• Remove from heat, and stir in bourbon.
• "Beat" mixture with a spoon, stirring briskly until the candy starts to crust around the sides of the saucepan and the mixture thickens considerably.
• Pour into a buttered 9x13 glass dish. Allow to cool slightly and cut into squares.
• Press a whole pecan into the top of each square.
• Enjoy!

MAPLE BOURBON FUDGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet; place in the oven and bake until they start to smell toasty, about 10 minutes. Keep a close eye (or nose) on them. Pour the nuts onto a clean kitchen towel and use the towel to rub off the skins.
• Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and grease with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Spread the walnuts evenly over the bottom. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Place the 2 tablespoons butter, the sugar, milk, half-and-half, corn syrup, maple syrup, salt, and bourbon in a heavy-bottomed 4- to 6-quart saucepan with a candy thermometer attached and set over medium heat. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it comes to a boil, controlling the heat as necessary to prevent it from boiling over, then allow it to cook without stirring, which can cause crystallization, until it reaches 238 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Quickly immerse the bottom of the pot in the ice water and let it sit for 5 seconds. Place the pot on the counter and allow the fudge to cool, undisturbed, until the temperature on the thermometer drops to 115 degrees F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the fudge until it starts to lose its gloss and thickens, about 20 minutes. Quickly spoon the fudge into the prepared pan, spreading it as best you can with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Do not scrape down any of the fudge that clings to the saucepan -- this will help prevent unwanted crystallization in the fudge. Allow the fudge to sit at room temperature to cool and set, at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.
• When ready to serve, invert the fudge onto a cutting board and cut into 1 1/2-inch squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

BOURBON-PECAN FUDGE

Steps:

• Spray 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat chocolates, condensed milk and cream over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in bourbon, vanilla, salt and pecans. Mixture will be thick, but stir slowly until combined.
• Spread mixture in pan. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Refrigerate 30 to 45 minutes or until set.
• Cut with sharp knife into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

BUTTERSCOTCH-BOURBON FUDGE

Steps:

• Line 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Microwave first 3 ingredients in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted; stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• Add dry pudding mix; stir with whisk 2 min. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until blended; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Top with nuts; press into fudge to secure.
• Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into squares.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE WITH BOURBON SUGAR

Steps:

• Bourbon sugar:
• Preheat oven to 150° or as low as yours will go. Scrape vanilla seeds into a small bowl; stir in demerara sugar and bourbon. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let dry out in oven overnight, leaving door slightly ajar. Mixture should feel like demerara sugar again in the morning.
• Fudge:
• Line an 8x8" baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a generous overhang on 2 sides; lightly coat with nonstick spray. Heat chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water), stirring occasionally, until almost completely melted. Set aside.
• Combine condensed milk, butter, bourbon, corn syrup, and kosher salt in a small saucepan; scrape in vanilla seeds and add pod. Heat over medium until barely hot (same as the chocolate).
• Gently stir one quarter of milk mixture into chocolate with a rubber spatula. Add another quarter of milk mixture, stirring to incorporate (it might look broken and greasy; don't worry, it will come back together). Continue with remaining milk mixture in 2 additions, stirring vigorously until fudge is very shiny and almost elastic, about 5 minutes. Scrape into prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with bourbon sugar and sea salt. Let cool, then cover and chill at least 4 hours.
• Turn out fudge onto a cutting board and slice into 2x3/4" rectangles, 2" squares, or triangles.

FUDGY BOURBON BALLS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the cookie crumbs and pecans until the nuts are finely ground. (The crumbs keep the nuts from turning into nut butter.)
• In a separate bowl, stir together the bourbon, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and honey. Add the mixture to food processor and pulse until just combined. Let the dough rest overnight, uncovered and at room temperature. This allows the mixture to dry out a little.
• Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter, then toss the balls in confectioners' sugar. Store them in an airtight container if you want them moist, or uncovered if you like them to develop a crunchy sugar crust on the outside. Sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar just before serving.