Lvl. 100 Crafts: Holly Jolly Christmas

No Baking Necessary

Every year, I do quite a bit of Christmas cookie baking (though not all of it is baked and I don’t only make cookies). Since I managed to pull my hamstring, baking has been out of the question due to not being able to bend down and put things in the oven. Fortunately, two of my favorite recipes don’t use the oven at all, and they are quick to make. I made both recipes in under 45 minutes. Though these recipes are simple, they do require attention throughout the process, so be sure to read through the entire recipe before starting.

I’ll start off with my fudge recipe. This is the only way I have ever made fudge, and my mom has made fudge this way for as long as I can remember. It’s only 2 ingredients, and easy to augment with other flavors. When making this fudge, be sure that everything you use is perfectly dry. Any amount of water will ruin it.

2 Ingredient Fudge

Yields: about 30 1” pieces

Ingredients:

1 bag (12 oz) of semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Line a 9 X 9 inch pan with a piece of parchment paper
Combine ingredients in a small saucepan
Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth
Once smooth, immediately remove from heat and pour into prepared pan lined with parchment paper

Cool in refrigerator and allow to set overnight
Cut into pieces and enjoy

Note: This fudge is very rich, and usually a 1” piece is enough for your average sweet tooth.

Variations:

Add in about ½ cup of peanut butter for chocolate peanut butter fudge
Use peanut butter morsels instead of semi-sweet chocolate for peanut butter fudge
Use chocolate mint morsels for a minty fudge
You can use just about any sort of flavoring, but be sure it’s not water-based as that will ruin the fudge

My next recipe is a family favorite: no bake oatmeal cookies. As the name suggests, there is absolutely no baking involved.