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This Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Fudge recipe is delicious and so easy! A simple homemade candy made with chocolate, a little cayenne pepper, chili powder and cinnamon!
A DELICIOUS HOMEMADE MEXICAN FUDGE RECIPE
Hola, amigos! Bienvenido! Como estas? And that’s about the extent of my Spanish…
Translation per Google: Hi, friends! Welcome! How are you? 😉
I took French. And in the 4 years of gargling each “R”, I *think* I learnedabout 20 words, give or take. I also learned how to make proper Crepes and dang good French Onion Soup.
However, and if it wasn’t evident enough, I’m really getting into Mexican cuisine here, eh? Yesterday we had Skillet Burritos and today we’re having Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Fudge! I figured, since I was on a roll with those burritos, why not continue on and make my next favorite south-of-the-border recipe.
Though, as I mentioned yesterday, I’m not the biggest fan of Mexican food, I AM the biggest fan of Mexican desserts. I looooove their sweets; Churros, Tres Leches Cake, Caramel Flans, etc.. LOVE ‘EM ALL!
In fact, my last vacation in Puerto Vallarta involved Mexican sweets for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. I ate guacamole during Happy Hour, with a side of MargaritaS. Lots of ’em. I miss those days… drunk and happy. 😉
Ooooh, hello there, melty chocolate. If it wasn’t so wrong, I’d take a spoon and eat you. But, first, we gotta make some fudge. (Sidenote: Do you really think I let all that chocolate go into the fudge? Yah, right. I licked that bowl clean! …keepin’ it real…)
The highlight of this fudge is the hint of spice. It’s not a lot, but it’s there and it’s perfect. Also? The espresso. Itsimply just heightens the flavor of the chocolate, but if you want to avoid it, you can use vanilla extract in its place. No harm done. But it’s Monday – you might want to reconsider.
Yeah…these squaresmake me want to sit on the couch, drink wine and eat. All while watching my sweet children hug and play… Don’t laugh… Dreams DOcome true!
If you want to join me on thee couch with thy wine, make this chocolate fudge and call me!
ENJOY!
Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Fudge
Katerina | Diethood
This Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Fudge recipe is delicious and so easy! A simple homemade candy made with chocolate, a little cayenne pepper, chili powder and cinnamon!
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Use a candy thermometer or conduct a cold water test to check if the fudge is done. Do not rely on the cooking time indicated in your recipe. The fudge is ready when a candy thermometer reads between 112°C to 114°C (234°F to 237°F) or the mixture forms a soft ball in cold water.
Hot fudge is made by boiling together cream, sugar, chocolate, and sometimes butter—the traditional ingredients for fudge—into what is essentially just an undercooked, unset version of the confection. It differs from plain old chocolate sauce by virtue of being gooier and more viscous.
While you ultimately want crystals to form, it's important that they don't form too early. The key to successful, nongrainy fudge is in the cooling, not the cooking. The recipe calls for heating the ingredients to the soft-ball stage, or 234° F, then allowing it to cool undisturbed to approximately 110° F.
You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).
So, the key to smooth yet firm fudge, pralines, and fondant is to first bring the mixture to a high enough concentration and then let it cool off somewhat before starting to stir. And once you do start to stir, stir fanatically and without stopping for the finest, creamiest texture.
To fix oily, hard or grainy fudge, scoop the fudge back into a pot with about a cup of water. Cook it over low heat until the fudge dissolves. Then bring the fudge back up to the temperature specified in the recipe and follow the remaining steps. The flavor may be slightly diluted, but the texture will be improved.
Stir the ingredients to dissolve the sugar until the mixture comes to a boil. If your recipe uses milk, stirring will keep the mixture from curdling. But once it reaches about 236–238 degrees F/113–114 degrees C (the "soft-ball" stage), do not stir it or even shake the pan.
Aside from these ingredients, fudge is generally comprised simply of milk, sugar, and butter as the base. To this basic recipe, one can add chocolate chips, butterscotch, peanut butter chips, white chocolate, or even espresso powder to create compelling flavor combinations.
It's the addition of heavy cream (in place of water or milk) and butter that creates hot fudge. Cream and butter give hot fudge its lush texture, flavor complexity, and dense richness. In addition to cocoa, chunks of chocolate are sometimes added for even more chocolatey goodness.
Consistency: Hot fudge sauce has a thicker and creamier consistency than chocolate syrup, which tends to be thinner and more liquidy. Flavor: Hot fudge sauce has a richer and more intense chocolate flavor than chocolate syrup, which can sometimes taste more artificial or diluted.
If you discover that your mixture is grainy, some quick thinking will save the entire batch. Pour the fudge back into your pan, and add about a cup of water to it, along with a tablespoon or two of evaporated milk, whipping cream, or whatever cream you're using.
Grainy fudge is usually a result of sugar crystals forming during the cooking process. If the sugar crystals are not properly dissolved before cooling, they can create a gritty texture.
When it comes down to it, those coarse bits in your fudge are just the sugars that have crystallized instead of setting into a smooth consistency as the mixture was cooling down. Graining can be caused by stirring the fudge mixture during the cooling process or not adding enough fluid to dissolve the sugar.
Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!
Once the fudge reaches soft-ball stage on the candy thermometer, remove from the heat and let the temperature drop to 110°F. Keep that spoon or spatula out of the pot until this happens. If you stir too early in the process, you'll make the sugar crystals too big and end up with grainy fudge.
The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.
If the sugar crystals are not properly dissolved before cooling, they can create a gritty texture. To avoid this, ensure that you stir the fudge mixture consistently and remove any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan using a wet pastry brush.
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