The Key Temperature Tip To Remember When Making Marbled Fudge

Fudge is a decadent and rich treat that melts in your mouth the minute it hits your tongue, and you can double your pleasure by marbling your favorite fudge flavors into one batch. We consulted a chocolate expert to make sure your marbled fudge is a success. Preston Stewart, director of chocolate at Onyx Coffee Lab and project manager for Terroir Chocolate, told Tasting Table that temperature is key to a smooth, cohesive texture. "It's very important that the two (or 3) versions that are being marbled together are at a similar temperature because they should cool at a similar rate to prevent any separation or cracking," he said.

This tip is especially important for the old-fashioned fudge recipes that make fudge using a similar technique to candy. Sugar, milk, and cocoa powder are heated to a light boil, and stirred continuously until a precise temperature is reached. Then, butter and vanilla are added and left to cool. If you are a fan of making fudge the old-fashioned way, then you'll need a candy thermometer to know when to take the fudge off the heat. In the case of marbled fudge, a candy thermometer will also come in handy to ensure that your flavors are the same temperature before combining them. If they're at two different temperatures you run the risk of crystallization, which is the cause of separation and cracking that ruins fudge's texture.

The old-fashioned recipes are a challenge to make with just one flavor, but modern appliances and ingredients have simplified the process considerably. To that effect, Stewart says that if you swap an old-fashioned recipe for a modernized fudge, marbled fudge isn't nearly as difficult. "The marbling technique is much easier when making 'cheater' or 'quick' fudge. Melting and maintaining a similar temperature of dark and white chocolate, for instance, quick fudge is much simpler than the actual cooked sugar version of fudge," he said.

Cheater fudge and quick fudge are versions that take the candy-making aspect of fudge out of the equation by swapping sugar for marshmallow fluff or sweetened condensed milk, respectively. Cheater fudge, like this strawberry marshmallow fudge, melts fluff with chocolate chips, cream and often even more sugar over the stove until combined. Modern quick fudge, like this peanut butter fudge recipe, is a microwavable version that is essentially a ganache. You can marble fudge made using both of these fudge recipes after you've stirred each mixture into a uniform consistency. Then, the marbling technique is no different than a marbled brownie or similar dessert. You'll simply add each mixture by the spoonful into a prepared pan, alternating between flavors. A toothpick, knife, or even the back of a spoon is all you need to swirl the two fudge mixtures together into their marbled pattern.