Brown Sugar-pecan Fudge Balls
- Ready In:
- 45mins
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Yields:
-
48 Fudge Balls
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups packed golden brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 32 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) or 32 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 3⁄4 cup chocolate sprinkles
directions
- Coat inside of medium metal bowl with 1/2 teaspoon butter.
- Place remaining butter in same bowl; set aside.
- Combine sugars, half and half and salt in medium saucepan that’s at least 4 inches deep.
- Let stand 10 minutes.
- Stir over medium-low heat until sugars are almost dissolved, frequently brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush, about 12 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium.
- Continue to stir until syrup comes to boil, occasionally brushing down sides of pan, about 10 minutes longer.
- Attach candy thermometer.
- Boil syrup without stirring until candy thermometer registers 234°F, about 16 minutes (caramel will bubble vigorously in pan).
- Attach thermometer to bowl with butter.
- Pour caramel over butter (do not scrape pan).
- Add vanilla (but do not stir).
- Cool caramel just to 112°F, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Using electric mixer, beat caramel until sheen just begins to disappear and mixture thickens slightly, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in chopped pecans.
- Cool mixture until thick enough to roll into balls, about 2 hours.
- Line 4 baking sheets with waxed paper.
- Using about 1 tablespoon mixture for each ball, spoon mixture in 48 mounds on 1 sheet.
- Press or roll each mound between palms of hands into ball.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Stir chocolate in medium bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until smooth and candy thermometer registers 115°F (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water).
- Remove from over water.
- Drop 1 ball into chocolate.
- Using fork, turn to coat.
- Using fork tines, lift ball from chocolate, allowing excess to drip into bowl.
- Using knife as aid, slide ball off fork onto second prepared sheet.
- Repeat with 15 balls, rewarming chocolate as needed to maintain temperature of 115°F.
- While chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with 1/4 cup sprinkles.
- Repeat with remaining fudge balls and sprinkles in 2 more batches, placing 16 balls on each of remaining 2 unused sheets.
- Chill balls until coating is firm, about 30 minutes.
- (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in covered containers.) Let stand 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.
- Makes 48.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Bev I Am
United States
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