Fudge It!

This recipe was sent to me by a reader (hi Betty!) She made my rainbow cupcakes for a class of first graders and they were such a hit so she emailed me and sent me pictures. We email eachother back and forth and chat and she occasionally sends me recipes. Awesome, right?

Here are the cupcakes she and the kiddos made. They look like they're having so much fun!

While I'm at it, I wanted to show you another cupcake that Selby of Selby's Food Corner made. I love her pastel version- pretty!

Onto the fudge! This is a very simple and versatile fudge. You melt a bag of chips of your choice (chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, etc.) and a tub of store bought frosting (any flavor, but according to Betty, Betty Crocker is preferred), and add flavored oils or extracts and nuts or dried fruit. The possibilities are endless and that's what's so amazing about this fudge.

I made this for my mom's birthday. When she goes to Starbucks, she always orders a white chocolate mocha with Valencia orange flavoring. Always. So I decided to make her this fudge using white chocolate chips, cream cheese frosting, Valencia orange zest, dried cranberries and macadamia nuts. She loved it!

Betty says this keeps for several weeks in the fridge. Which is a good thing because it's so rich! I plan on making a semi-sweet chocolate version with pecans so stay tuned!

White Chocolate Cranberry Orange Fudge

• 1 (12 oz.) package white chocolate chips
• 1 (16 oz.) tub cream cheese frosting
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. orange extract
• 1 T. grated Valencia orange zest
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
• more zest and cranberries for garnish (optional)

1. Lightly butter an 8 x 8-inch baking pan or a 9-inch diameter pan*. Set aside.

2. Melt the baking chips in the microwave in a medium bowl.

3. Stir in the frosting, salt, extract, and nuts, cranberries and zest until well combined.

4. Scrape into the prepared pan and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or until firm. Cut it into squares to serve.

NOTE: *I used a silicone pan, so I skipped step one and it made popping out the fudge so easy.

Easy Fudge from Nancy's Kitchen

• 1 (12-ounce) package of baking chips
• 1 (16-ounce) tub of prepared frosting
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon extract of your choice
• 3/4 cup nuts of your choice

1. Lightly butter an 8 x 8-inch baking pan or a 9-inch diameter pan. Set aside.

2. Melt the baking chips in the microwave in a medium bowl.

3. Stir in the frosting, salt, extract, and nuts until well combined.

4. Scrape into the prepared pan and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or until firm. Cut it into squares to serve.

Thanks Betty! Keep the recipes coming!