Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

Maybe someday I will learn to plan ahead and not put off all of my Christmas shopping until the day before Christmas Eve. Perhaps I will even have a plan as to what to buy. That is not today, though I’m happy to report that all presents have been procured.

If you’re in need of one more treat to make that is super duper easy, this fudge is an excellent option. I ran across Megan of Stetted‘s recipe for Dark Chocolate Fudge with Sea Salt while gathering ideas for edible Christmas gifts. It looked too good not to try, and I thought I’d holiday it up by swapping the almond extract and sea salt with peppermint extract and candies. With so few ingredients, it delivers a pure chocolate peppermint flavor.

I made this at my parents’ house which doesn’t have the most helpful light for photos. When I tried to take better photos the next day, I noticed that the crushed peppermint had melted, so boo. Maybe the fridge is too moist? See, it’s perfect for making last minute.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge
adapted from Stetted

15 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
crushed peppermints for topping (optional)

Prepare an 8×8 pan by laying a strip of paper across it, then another in the opposite direction. The strips should be long enough so that you can use them to lift out the set fudge.

In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate with the milk over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in extract.

Spread the fudge in the pan with an off-set spatula. Sprinkle peppermints on top, if using. Refrigerate until set (about 2 hours). Remove from pan and cut into squares. (I cut 64 bite-sized pieces.) Store between pieces of wax paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator.