I hate baking.
Hate may be too strong a word for this.
Let’s take that back.
What I actually dislike about baking is that nothing I bake ever comes out successfully from the oven.
I fail in making any cakes from scratch. Unless it comes in a Betty Crocker-esque type of packaging, count me out. Cakes come out deflated. Macarons come out defeated. Pies come out roasted.
That’s why I love making cake pops and cake balls. No fuss. Just decorate the damn things. And they taste so good.
The only time I’ve ever baked anything successfully was when I decided to make Banana Bread. Now in regards to that, I make a mean Banana Bread. Nutty and chocker full of banana.
And so it was to my utter delight, that this Chocolate Fudge from Nigella required no baking whatsoever.
NONE. Nada. Nei. Nan. Ni.
How I swooned with delight and joy.
The recipe? Incredibly easy. The ingredients? Already in my pantry. Apart from the pistachios (I didn’t have any pistachios, but I did have macadamias 🙂 )
So if there is no baking? How do you set it? Simply chuck it into the refrigerator/freezer! Yayy!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring to you, Nigella’s Chocolate Fudge.
Chocolate Macadamia Fudge
(Adapted from Nigella Express’ Chocolate Pistachio Fudge with Pistachios substituted with Macadamias)
Ingredients:
350g Premium Dark Chocolate (approx. 70% cocoa solids), preferably chopped (*we were in a rush and left them in blocks)
30g Butter
1 can Condensed Milk (around 397g)
150g Macadamia nuts (slightly toasted)
Pinch of Salt (preferably Fleur De Sel)
Procedure:
In a heavy-based saucepan, add the chocolate, condensed milk, butter and salt. Place on low heat and keep stirring until chocolate mixture melts.
Place macadamia nuts in a zip lock/freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin until you get a variety of big and little pieces. Add them into the saucepan along with your chocolate mixture. Stir until well combined.
Pour and spread your chocolate mixture into a tray and smooth the top. Let the fudge cool and place in the refrigerator until set.
Once set, cut them into small pieces approximately 3 x 2.25cm or your preferred size. They can then be kept in the freezer – no thawing necessary and can be eaten straight away.
These little fudge slices turned out really nicely.
They were extremely rich.
The nuts were toasted slightly in the toaster and provided the chocolate fudge with a really nice roasted and slightly charred flavour.
Would I be making this again? Definitely. It was really super easy and if I ever need to make anything in a hurry for anything, I definitely will!
Which is why I made these. I had to attend “Cooking the Books 5” with a bunch of other food bloggers and attend Run for the Kids 2011 in the morning as well.
So these were made in a hurry the night before 🙂 Voila!
I love Nigella. I feel for you having a shitty oven (is that why things never come out?) I’ve been there. Since having a new, fabulous oven I now adore baking! I hope you get a lovely oven soon. In the mean time, though, this fudge is rather brilliant 🙂
Heidi xo
I don’t think my oven is shitty… I think it’s me! Hahahaha
Oh. My. God. Chocolate and condensed milk!? Talk about calorie bomb! Lucky you were running the next day. 😉
I know! But I made everyone else eat it 😛
no baking required? im in!
YUP!
They look good! Most fudge recipes I’ve seen don’t require baking, so it looks like you should make more fudge! 😉
I should make all things fudge!
Oooooh it had condensed milk in it. No wonder it was so good!
uhuh! That’s why it was soooo yummy!
I don’t bake. Not my forte. 🙂
Awww… it’s not my forte too!
Argh, I could really use some chocolate energy right now haha So easy! I’ll have to make it one time during the holidays but where to find people who will eat and appreciate such sweet things…hmmmm.
We could all use chocolate energy!
wow that chocolate fudge looks fantastic. yes lots of colories, ha ha. well done 🙂
Thanks Stella!!!
If you can make tasty treats without subjecting yourself to dreaded baking then good on you for knowing how to work with your strengths 😀
Still… baking in winter is a nice way to heat up the kitchen, hehe.
Awesome sub with the macadamias. They are the king of nuts! And the queen.
I love macadamias and hazelnuts… most nuts really.. EXCEPT walnuts!
These look so good – and I think I prefer the hazelnut over the pistachio in any case. So delish! Can’t go wrong with a NL recipe
It was macadamias.. but same round textured nut 🙂 Thanks!