Just as we were finally done with the Thanksgiving dishes and sinking into the couch to put our feet up, my Mom realizes that the only thing missing from Thanksgiving dinner this year was Christmas Fudge. And I’m sitting there, scratching my head, trying to remember if we really start holiday baking before we’ve had a chance to finish the turkey leftovers? It’s a bit of a sugar haze looking back over the years, but I think we do actually make and eat 3 different types of Thanksgiving pie (coconut pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and a cherry cheesecake in a loaf pan!), and start with the Christmas baking in November, too! In our family, we’re over-the-top in the dessert department. You might have guessed as much. We also have a tradition of baking another pumpkin pie the day after Thanksgiving, but now we’re just sounding crazy.
I created this easy 3-ingredient fudge recipe in partnership with Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk as part of their “uncookie” exchange. An “UnCookie” exchange is a way to impress friends and family with delicious baked treats that are not your typical cookie. And in our case, the treat is even easier than baking cookies! As I mentioned in my chocolate caramel cookie bars, sweetened condensed milk is just milk from which the water has been removed and sugar has been added. And since fudge needs milk and sugar, it’s a great shortcut.
I based this recipe for 3-ingredient chocolate covered cherry fudge on my base recipe for a small batch of fudge, and with each sweet bite, I have a hard time understanding why anyone would make fudge the hard way. This is a small batch of fudge, because I cannot be trusted around a large batch. You know me. I press the fudge into a 6” round cake pan. It’s plenty of fudge without going over the top. You can double the recipe and press it into a 9" regular cake pan, if you need more fudge in your life. For this recipe, I spread half of the fudge in the pan, top with a layer of canned Morello cherries (my absolute favorite because they’re sweet with a touch of sour), and then spread the remaining fudge on top. An extra drizzle of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk on top really drives home the cherry cordial flavor. I can’t get enough. I hope you make and love this chocolate covered cherry fudge recipe this year! Happy uncookie exchange!
Also, check out my friend Julie Blanner’s peanut butter fudge! She inspired my recipe, and I love that her version only takes 10 minutes!
