It’s the final Christmas countdown!
If:
1. You keep wondering where December went
2. The thought of last-minute shopping with thousands of other panic-stricken shoppers makes you want to emigrate to a country where they don’t have Christmas
3. You want people to think that you’re awesome…
…then this fudge is for you. Well, technically for you to make and for others to enjoy, sorry.
Cook up a batch (sounds very Breaking Bad, hehe), go OTT with the wrapping (I’m thinking sparkly boxes, glossy tissue paper and outlandish bows. Maybe even some stickers) and wait for the coos of “homemade presents are just so thoughtful, thank you SO much”.
It works, trust me.
p.s. sorry I’ve been away a while – lots of recipes pending to make up for it…
Boozy* mincemeat fudge Makes a 20cm x 20cm slab (about 64 pieces)
Ingredients:
– 150ml milk
– 115g unsalted butter
– 450g demerara sugar
– 3 tablespoons rum or brandy
– 150g good quality mincemeat**
– zest 1 unwaxed orange
– edible gold glitter, to decorate (optional)
* If you’re making for a U audience or if you’re just weird, feel free to skip the booze. If not, rum and brandy both work a treat.
** If you’re veggie or gluten-free, be sure to check the mincemeat ingredients for animal suet and wheat-derived products.
Method:
Line a 20cm x 20cm square dish with greaseproof paper.
In a large saucepan on a medium heat, heat the condensed milk, milk, butter and sugar, stirring regularly, until the sugar has melted.
Turn up the heat, add the rum or brandy and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring continuously, until a small amount of mixture dropped into a glass of cold water forms a tiny ball of mixture that holds its form but is still squidgy (the ‘soft ball stage’ in geek speak). Tip: You must keep stirring otherwise the fudge will stick to the bottom of your pan and you will have burnt bitter fudge!
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and beat for about 10 minutes, until the caramel-y glossiness has gone and you have a thick, soft fudg-y (funny that) consistency. About half way through, add the mincemeat and orange zest. Tip: You can do all this by hand but I use the beater attachment of my food mixer on a medium-high speed for 10 minutes – much easier!
Scoop into your lined dish, squidge into the corners and pat down to even the surface, and leave to cool at room temperature until firm.
Sprinkle with edible gold glitter (if using) and cut into squares. Will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for several weeks.
Source: Recipe and photos by pip & little blue.
pip & little blue 
Hi Marc – sorry to hear you’ve got sticky fudge! Heating it to the exact temperature is really important, which is sounds like you’ve done, but humidity in the air, and the exact mincemeat you’re using can affect the outcome too. At this stage, reheating it to cook off some of the moisture is your best bet. Good luck! x
So I cooked it again and after 24 hours it was still sticky and impossible to cut. In dispair, I left it to one side and forgot about it for 3 days. Then, not thinking I touched it as I passed by and, oh miracle, it had hardened enough to make square pieces. I now have 148 mincemeat fudges to go ’round family and friends. Thanks for the recipe and your help……and a very belated Happy New Year.
After cooking the mixture to the recommended temperature, when cooled it remained soft and sticky and impossible to cut. Tried to heat it up again with no change. What can I do to transform it into fudge consistency?
still hoping for advice to help resolve my mincemeat fudge problem. marc maillard
Just made this with some homemade mincemeat for christmas gifts – it’s amazing, thank you so much!! I know I’m going to have some very happy family, friends and co workers :)
Use a candy thermometer to ensure you boil up to 235 degrees. Air temperature and humidity will affect the boil time. I did some microwave caramel yesterday for example, and needed almost 10 more minutes of nuking to get to soft ball stage beyond what the recipe said – I would have had sundae sauce if I stopped then…. You can always test a little with cold water to ensure it’s right before you stop boiling. You might be able to re-heat what you have so long as the mincemeat doesn’t scorch
Hi I tried making this last night, I woke up this morning and it’s not set, I could probably spread it on toast ☹ I’m so disappointed as it was for my Secret Santa party. Where did I go wrong? I followed the recipe step by step.
That exact same thing happened to me!! I even put it in the freezer! All I can think is that the Brandy stopped it setting, so I’m about to attempt a second batch minus the Brandy. It had better work as its for presents! xx
Oh no! It’s possible the temperature didn’t get quite high enough – make sure it boils to 112-116 degrees Celsius before taking off the heat.
Hope this helps!
I have just made a test batch of this fudge and am impatiently waiting for it to set! I don’t have a mixer so had to do it all by hand so fingers crossed it works ! x
Very impressed you did it by hand – go you!! x
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I love sweets, they are awesome!
Mincemeat turned fudge! What a glorious idea and totally original. I want to make these right now x Lizzie
Do it do it do it now! Thanks so much – have a lovely Christmas x
They look so delicious!! <3
Thank you! I have eaten a LOT of offcuts… ;)