Every year when I was young, my family had a tradition we dubbed, “The Bake-a-Thon.” My great-grandmother would decorate her entire house to put the Griswolds to shame (it really is a wonder it didn’t create a city-wide power outage), my grandmother would come to town from Little Rock, my great-aunt would come in from Dallas and my mother and I would all stay in the house all weekend long making every homemade Christmas treat you could imagine.
We made divinity, fudge, millionaires, Martha Washingtons, bite-sized pecan pies, peanut butter balls, rice cereal treats and countless other goodies- you’d think we were cooking for the entirety of Camp Shelby. Everything was made from scratch and hand-dipped in chocolate, which often caused strings of profanities to echo through the house- but that was our love language.
The fruit of the labor was having the treats on stand-by throughout the season. Whether it was teacher goodie bags, Christmas parties or for coworkers, all you had to do was fill a bag or tin with a sampling of delicious, homemade goodies. Who wouldn’t be thrilled?
Candy-making isn’t always easy, but I do believe I have found the perfect, fool-proof Christmas candy recipe that anyone can make- Cranberry Pistachio White Chocolate Fudge. With its pops of red and vivid green peeking out from its white chocolate base, this fudge is festive and gorgeous without any extra bells or whistles. It’s also quick to throw together and is perfect for any skill-level.
Don’t let a double boiler scare you. I promise, it’s not as complicated as you might think, and it’s not a deal-breaker if you don’t feel comfortable doing it. You can also use your microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds at a time- just make sure to stir it well after each round.
Cranberry Pistachio White Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients:
20 oz white chocolate chips (I recommend a good quality, but even the store brand is fine)
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 TB of cubed and softened butter
¾ c dried cranberries
¾ c lightly salted, shelled and chopped pistachios
(If using plain pistachios without salt, add 1/8 tsp salt)
(Optional) An additional ¼ c of finely chopped dried cranberries and pistachios for topping
Instructions:
Before beginning, lightly grease an 8” x 8” baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Fill a small sauce pan about ¼ - 1/3 full of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Combine white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter in a heat safe glass or metal bowl.
- Place the bowl onto the top of the saucepan. Stir frequently until the mixture is completely melted and smooth (about 8 minutes).
- Remove the bowl from the heat and fold in the dried cranberries and pistachios.
- Pour the mixture into the parchment-lined pan and smooth it to distribute evenly. (Optional) Sprinkle the top with the additional cranberries and pistachios while the mixture is still soft.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours. Once set, remove the fudge from the pan by lifting the parchment, transfer onto a cutting board and remove the parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife, slice into 1” squares. (This can also be made easier by filling a small pitcher with warm water, submerge the knife to warm it up, and dry it before slicing)
These can be served as cubes or rolled into balls and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.
