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It’s the season for Christmas treats, and I’ve made this 5-minute chocolate Carnation fudge recipe that I can store in the freezer ahead of time.
Fudge also makes great holiday gifts for friends and family who have a sweet tooth.
What makes this famous chocolate Carnation fudge recipe so popular is the creamy texture of the evaporated milk.
Carnation Milk vs. Evaporated Milk
I’m sure everyone knows what Carnation milk is in Canada, also called evaporated milk.
Evaporated milk is known as unsweetened condensed milk but not nearly as thick.
Cow’s milk has the water reduced by 60% and then homogenized, sterilized, and canned to become shelf-stable.
Sweetened condensed milk, also used to make fudge, has sugar added to the milk.
That’s the main difference between evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk.
So, you can substitute evaporated milk for sweetened condensed milk to make fudge, although you must add sugar.
Popularity Of Carnation Milk
Evaporated milk takes up half the space of its nutritional equivalent in fresh milk.
When the liquid product is mixed with a proportionate amount of water (150%), evaporated milk becomes the rough equivalent of fresh milk. It can have a shelf life of months or even years, depending upon the fat and sugar content.
This made evaporated milk very popular before refrigeration as a safe and reliable substitute for perishable fresh milk, as it could be shipped easily to locations lacking the means of safe milk production or storage.
Wikipedia
5-minute Chocolate Carnation Fudge Recipe
It’s not uncommon to find cans of Carnation evaporated milk in pantries as it’s used in many recipes.
We had two cans as backup coffee creamer, so I made this easy chocolate carnation fudge recipe.
The chocolate carnation fudge recipe is one of the most treasured classic recipes ever.
Although it’s easy to make, inexpensive, and takes only 5 minutes, there is a setting time of around 1 to 2 hours.
You can probably get away with chilling it in the refrigerator for one hour.
If plain chocolate fudge is too boring it’s easy to create other delicious flavours.
- Butterscotch Carnation Fudge – Use butterscotch chocolate chips
- Chocolate, Fruit, and Nut Carnation Fudge – Add 1/2 cup of dried fruits and nuts
- Bailey’s Marshmallow Carnation Fudge – Bailey’s Irish Cream
I didn’t have any mini marshmallows as the classic recipe suggests using.
However, I did have large marshmallows, which I replaced cup for cup, and the recipe turned out perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups of granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup 2% Carnation Evaporated Milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
- 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with waxed paper.
- Combine sugar, butter, and milk in a pot and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
- Remove from the heat and add the mini marshmallows, vanilla, chocolate chips, and nuts (if desired) and blend until melted.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and chill until solid (about 1-2 hours)
- Cut into 1-inch squares and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
Tips
- You can cut the fudge as big or little as you want, which will change the yield.
- Add 1/2 cup of extras or leave them out. Ex nuts or dried fruits.
- If you want to use flavored extracts, only use a few drops if it’s pure. (taste test the flavor for consistency).
- Ensure you boil the mixture for 4 to 5 minutes, or it won’t set.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or container.
Last-minute Easy Chicken Corn Soup
Making a quick pot of chicken corn soup doesn’t get any easier than this for lunch or dinner any day of the week.
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 2 Chicken Stock Cubes or homemade chicken stock (approx 10 cups depending on the size of pan)
- Spaghetti 2 handfuls broken into bits
- 6 Spring onions chopped (green onions)
- 1 tin creamed corn (don’t worry if you don’t have a can, normal whizzed up will do with a splash of cream or with-out)
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped Parsley
- Cilantro
- Salt n pepper to taste
Instructions
- Crush chicken stock cubes and place broken spaghetti into a stockpot and pour approx 10 cups boiling water over or your heated chicken stock.
- Finely chop your spring onions add to the pot
- Fry or bake 2 seasoned chicken breasts (salt and pepper) until tender then chop up and add to soup
- Add your freshly chopped herbs and taste before adding salt and pepper as desired.
- Add the creamed corn and wait until the spaghetti is cooked for about 3-5 minutes.