Craving an old-fashioned chocolate fudge with walnuts recipe, like grandma used to make? This classic recipe by chocolatier Simon Knott delivers rich, decadent fudge packed with walnuts!
Making a recipe for chocolate fudge with walnuts at home doesn’t have to be complicated. Once you understand a few simple rules your recipe should be reliable every time.
For instance, always use quality ingredients and weigh them out accurately before you start. Use a saucepan with a heavy base to reduce the chance of the fudge catching. And always use a thermometer – digital probes are cheap to buy now and give pinpoint accuracy.
This chocolate and walnut fudge recipe can also be made with baking or unsweetened cooking chocolate, which gives the fudge a richer chocolate flavor with less sweetness. Perfect for homemade gifts, or sharing at afternoon tea.
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
- Medium saucepan with a solid base
- Stirring spoon
- Sugar or digital thermometer
- Fudge tray or a square ovenproof dish
Ingredients
- 1 heaped tablespoon (10g) cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (20g) corn syrup (or 10g each of glucose and golden syrup)
- 1 cup (235 ml) whole milk
- ½ teaspoon (5g) salt
- 1 cup (125g) chopped walnuts
- A tablespoon (15g) butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Fudge with Walnuts Recipe Method
Time: 15 mins approx.
Toasting the Walnuts
- Heat the oven to 350 °F.
- Lay a sheet of parchment paper over a shallow oven tray.
- Spread the walnuts out on the paper in a single layer.
- Put the tray in the oven for 3 minutes. Check they aren’t burning and move the nuts around on the tray.
- Roast for another 3-4 minutes and then remove the tray and allow the nuts to cool. They should have a delicious buttery aroma.
View video demonstration on how to roast walnuts.
While the walnuts are roasting prepare the tray to put the finished fudge in.
Chocolate Fudge with Walnuts Recipe – Steps for Fudge
While the walnuts are roasting prepare the tray to put the finished fudge in. Either line the tray with parchment and grease it with a little butter or oil the tray directly.
Dissolve ingredients in saucepan. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup, salt, and milk to the saucepan. Stir constantly over a medium heat to dissolve the sugar. The grittiness will disappear.
Brush down the saucepan walls. As the mixture comes to the boil, scrape the pan walls with a metal spatula to remove the sugar crystals that have built up. Then wash the walls using a pastry brush and a little cold water to dissolve any remaining crystals.
Monitor the temperature closely. The fudge may froth as it boils, so adjust the heat down if needed. Place the thermometer in the mixture and wait for the temperature to reach 238 °F (115 °C). Remove the pan from the heat.
Add butter and vanilla – no stirring! Add the butter and vanilla extract but don’t stir them in. The mixture is a concentrated sugar solution and any agitation with a spoon may be enough to start the mixture crystallizing. You need a smooth texture with tiny crystals.
Lower temperature then beat it. Wait until the thermometer falls to 238 °F (110 °C) and then start beating the mixture vigorously with a spoon. Quite soon the fudge should thicken slightly, as tiny sugar crystals form, which will make it lose its shine.
Finishing the Chocolate Fudge with Walnuts Recipe
After you have made the chocolate fudge, add the walnuts and stir these through.
Using a spatula quickly pour and scrape the fudge into the fudge tray, and flatten the surface.
Leave it to set for about 1 hour and then score squares into the surface using a knife. When cool, fully slice into squares.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight tin for up to a week.
- It freezes well but defrost in a plastic bag or condensation will make the fudge sticky.
Chocolate Fudge with Walnuts Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting
Frequently asked fudge-making questions
Why toast the walnuts?
Walnuts already have a great flavour but when toasted they are golden and extra buttery and nutty.
What can I use instead of corn syrup?
Maple syrup and honey are good substitutes, with their own flavors. Or an equal mixture of glucose and golden syrups.
Does the boiling temperature in this chocolate fudge with walnuts recipe need to be perfectly accurate?
Yes. Too high or too low will affect the final texture. It’s much more reliable to use a sugar thermometer or probe.
Follow the recipe exactly, so you control the start and formation of the sugar crystals.
Why do you wash the pan walls?
As the fudge boils a few sugar crystals will form on the inside walls. If you don’t wash these away, they may fall into the fudge towards the end and crystallize the whole batch.
Conclusion
For many, homemade fudge is close to their hearts as its memories are often associated with childhood and family gatherings. It is undeniably sweet but sometimes just a small cube is all that you need to transport you back to simpler times.
