Holiday Mint M&M Chocolate Fudge

This quick and easy Holiday Mint M&M Fudge recipe has two layers of both chocolate fudginess and holiday mint M&Ms. Change it up to add the chips or M&Ms of your choice. It's easy to make but hard to give away. You'll want to eat it all yourself.

So, Christmas Week comes to a close with this fifth and final day. Now the actual holiday baking of pecan pies and roast turkeys begins! I told a friend jokingly today that our Christmas dinner was already cooked. All organized! And she took me seriously. Truth is, I don’t have one thing done. Oh, sure! I’ve been making candy and baking cakes and muffins but those are just welcome extras. At our house, there’s got to be turkey and stuffing. Or baked Christmas ham with pineapple, brown-sugar-mustard glaze and those weird cherries that look so cool but that no one eats. Does anybody anywhere eat those?!

The first year I started this blog, I wrote about my grandmother who always made a variety of fudges for presents at Christmas time. It was kind of a competition between her and her sisters to see who made the best.  The two I remember best were a snow white divinity fudge and a chocolate pecan fudge, both of which I’ve tried to replicate.

I think my grandmother would have been thrilled at the ease of the fudge I've made for you today. No thermometers or tricks. Just boil, simmer, mix and pour.

Make sure you scroll on down to see all the Day 5 treats my fellow Christmas Week bloggers have made for you.

Ingredients
3 cups or 600g granulated sugar
2/3 cup or 150ml evaporated milk
3/4 cup or 170g butter
7 oz or 200g marshmallow creme
12 oz or 340g semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup or 9.9oz or 280g Holiday Mint M&Ms, divided in half

Method
Line a 9x13 in or 23x33cm pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray, below to help it stay in place and on top to help the fudge turn loose later.

In a large pot, combine your sugar, evaporated milk and butter over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often.

Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. It’s still going to bubble gently the whole time since that is the nature of sugary candy.

Remove the pot from the heat; add the marshmallow creme and chocolate chips, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Then stir in the vanilla and salt.

Pour half of the mixture into your prepared pan and spread it around.

Scatter half of the M&Ms over the fudge.

Spread the remaining fudge over the top. Shake the pan to help the fudge spread out in the pan.

Sprinkle the remaining M&Ms into the fudge. Shake the pan gently again. The hot fudge will continue to spread. Tap the M&Ms gently to make sure they are stuck into the fudge.

Allow the fudge to cool until firm. Cut into squares.

Store in an airtight container. This stuff makes excellent gifts if you can bear to give it away.

Still looking for Christmas inspiration? We’ve got you covered!

• Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies by Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
• Boozy Cherries by Cooking In Stilettos
• Caramel Corn Chocolate Chip Cookies by Mind Over Batter
• Chocolate Dipped Madelines by My Catholic Kitchen
• Chocolate Mint Fudge by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Gingerbread Fudge by Cravings of a Lunatic 
• Holiday Mint M&M Chocolate Fudge by Food Lust People Love
• My Mother's Lefse by Farm Fresh Feasts

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Mulled Wine Fruit Gums

For fans of those chewy little candies called wine gums, this is a Christmas version, full of the spicy flavors of mulled wine with cloves and cinnamon and nutmeg along with apple, pear, orange and lemon. Bonus: Your house smells divine as the fruit cooks down. Make these mulled wine fruit gums today!

This recipe is based on one from the current Jamie magazine (Issue 54, December 2014) but can also be found online here. I didn't want actual bits of fruit in mine so I changed up the method. If you want bits of apple and pear in yours, do not add the sugar until after the fruit has broken down. I took a quick shot, holding the finish gum, before cutting into squares, up to the light and look how pretty the color is.

Mulled Wine Fruit Gums

Ingredients
Vegetable oil or non-stick spray, for greasing pan
1 1/3 lbs or 600g apples
10 1/2 oz or 300g pears
2 1/4 cups or 530ml red wine
1 cup or 240ml orange juice
Juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons total, divided)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon whole cloves
2 star anise
3 1/2 cups or 700g golden granulated sugar
4 tablespoons liquid pectin

Plus 1 cup or 225g white finely granulated sugar, for dusting

Method
Lightly grease an 8x8 in or 20x20cm tin and line it with cling film, making sure to come all the way up the sides. I sprayed more non-stick spray on the inside of the cling film as well.

Measure your wine, orange juice and half the lemon juice into a heavy bottomed pot, along with the spices. Peel, core and roughly chop your apples and pears and put them directly into the wine pot.

Add in the golden caster sugar and cook over a medium high heat for about 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over.

Strain the solids out of the pot with a heavy, heatproof sieve. Allow to drain completely, using a spoon or spatula to squeeze all the thick syrupy juice out.

Return the liquid to the pot and add the remaining lemon juice and the liquid pectin.

Boil over a medium heat until a candy thermometer reaches 240°F or 115°C or test for doneness by dropping a scant 1/2 teaspoon slowly into a glass of cold water. The syrup should form a ball as it hits the water. If it doesn’t, give it a few more minutes on the stove and try again with a fresh glass of cold water.

Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and leave to cool.

Once it’s cool, cover the surface with another piece of cling film and leave to set for at least 12 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to cut the squares apart, put your white sugar in a platter or pan with sides and tip the gum square into the sugar.

Coat it liberally with the sugar then use a greased knife or scissors to cut the squares, tossing the pieces in the sugar as you go along. I found that the scissors worked better than the knife, no matter how liberally I greased it.

As they are made, transfer the sugarcoated squares to a sheet of parchment sprinkled with a little of the sugar. This will give you more room to work at the cutting and coating.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Needing more sweet treats for Christmas? Have a look at today’s wonderful link list for inspiration:

• Coquito Cheesecake Flan by Mind Over Batter
• Egg Nog Pound Cake by My Catholic Kitchen
• Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls by Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
• Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Eggnog Icing by From Gate to Plate
• Mulled Wine Fruit Gums by Food Lust People Love
• Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies by Cravings of a Lunatic 
• Peppermint Spritz Cookies by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Scandinavian Fruit Soup by Farm Fresh Feasts
• Soft Vanilla Caramels by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

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Eggnog Muffins with Eggnog Glaze

These delicious eggnog muffins with eggnog glaze are redolent with bourbon, eggnog, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, are perfect for an easy Christmas morning breakfast or afternoon treat.

It's Muffin Monday at my house, so you know I had to make a Christmasy muffin for you. My current motto is Eggnog everything! If you agree, you'll also want to check out my grandmother's homemade eggnog recipe, my beautiful eggnog pound cake and easy eggnog mousse, a boozy dessert the adults will love.

Eggnog Muffins with Eggnog Glaze

Ingredients
For the muffins:
2 1/2 cups or 315g flour
1/2 cup or 100g light brown sugar
1/4 cup or 50g sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup or 240ml eggnog (store-bought or homemade)
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
1/4 cup or 60ml bourbon
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the eggnog glaze:
1 cup or 125g confectioners or icing sugar
2 tablespoons eggnog
1 teaspoon bourbon
Pinch salt

Optional: Decorative sprinkles

Method
Preheat oven to 375°F or 190°C and prepare your muffin pan by greasing it or lining it with paper muffin cups. degrees.

In a medium bowl mix flour, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

In a large bowl whisk your eggnog, oil, bourbon, eggs, and vanilla.

Fold your wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. A little flour will still show and that’s fine.

Divide your batter between the muffin cups.

Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool briefly in the pan. Take the muffins out of the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, mix all of your glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.

When the muffins are completely cool, drizzle on the glaze and sprinkle immediately with decorative sprinkles, if using.

Enjoy! Here's to eggnogging all the things!

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Nanny's Pecan Pie

Louisiana pecan pie is chewy and gooey, full of pecans and sticky goodness, in a flakey short crust. Nanny's pecan pie recipe is the best of the best. Christmas is not Christmas without it!

We were there! After five hours of driving dark highways in the bitter cold, the whole family piled into the warmth of my grandmother’s yellow kitchen. As usual, everyone talking at once. Following shortly behind us, coming from the opposite direction on Interstate 10, my aunt’s family banged through the old screen door, arms laden with luggage and goodies.

Nanny had a stack of pecan pies, all baked in foil pie plates and wrapped in more foil, a tower of shiny as welcome as any star on the nearby Christmas tree. Pecan pie was one of her specialties and this year, she claimed, she had perfected the recipe. Baking pie after pie until the mixture was just right. We laughed when she said 7/8 cup of Karo, because how do you even measure that!

In southern Louisiana, your godparents are your nanan and parran, the Cajun French words for godmother and godfather. Aunt Karen was not my godmother but she was my older sister’s and since I was three years younger, I called her Nanny as well. That was just her name and it never occurred to me until I was much older that she wasn’t my godmother too.

On Christmas Day, 20 years ago, we lost Nanny to breast cancer, after a few years’ hard fight. She was only 49. She lives on through her children and grandchildren and in the cherished memories we have of the most generous and loving aunt, sister, mother, friend anyone has ever known. I eyeball that measuring cup each time I make this pie and channel her precision for 7/8 cup. Her recipe hasn’t failed me yet.

Nanny's Pecan Pie

Ingredients
For the filling:
1 large egg
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
7/8 cup or 207ml clear Karo corn syrup (Just do your best.)
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups or 180g chopped pecans
4 small pats of butter (about 1 teaspoon each)

1 unbaked pie shell (I use this recipe. Stop when the crust has been pricked with a fork, and come on back here to make the filling.)

Method
Preheat your oven to 300°F or 149°C.

Put your pecans in a large baking pan and pop them in the oven as it preheats. Set a timer for five minutes and shake the pan every time it rings. Take the pecans out when they smell all toasty and nutty. Depending on your oven, this could take 10 minutes or even 20. Depends on how fast your oven preheats and the toasting can really start. Remove the pecans from the oven and set aside to cool.

Beat the egg and sugar until yellow and creamy looking.

Add the Karo and the pinch of salt and whisk again.

After thoroughly mixed, add your cooled pecans.

Pour into unbaked pie shell. Put pats of butter on top.

Bake in your preheated oven for 50/60 minutes. (I suggest putting a piece of foil under the pan, for easy clean up, in case it boils over a little.)

Remove from the oven when the pie is almost set. It might still be just a little bit wobbly in the middle.

Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Enjoy!

Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:

• Coconut Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Covered Spoons by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Chocolate Shortbread Bars by Juanita’s Cocina
• Buckeyes byMy Catholic Kitchen
• Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Fudge by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies by Jen’s Favorite Cookies
• Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies by Try Anything Once Culinary
• Chocolate Peppermint Donuts by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake by Liv Life
• Coconut Cream Tres Leches Cake by The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
• Cranberry Pistachio Eggnog Bark by See Aimee Cook
• Cranberry Yogurt Cookies by Mom’s Test Kitchen
• Cranberry-Orange Gin Fizz by The Messy Baker
• Flourless Peanut Butter Nutella S’Mores by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Frosted Sugar Cookies by Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
• Gluten-free Cinnamon Star Cookies by Masala Herb
• Holiday Pinwheels by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• My Mother-in-law’s Fudge by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
• Nanny’s Pecan Pie by Food Lust People Love
• Peanut Butter n’ Jelly Thumbprints by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Peppermint Brownie Pops by Home Cooking Memories
• Peppermint Fudge by Like Mother Like Daughter
• Peppermint Mocha Brownie Cookies by Homemade in the Kitchen
• Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Pokey Fudge by Ninja Baking
• Vanilla Wafer Holiday Bark by Dizzy Busy and Hungry

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