Dark Chocolate Walnut Fudge with Blueberry Balsamic

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup walnut pieces
  • 1 pound 4 ounces dark chocolate (five 4-ounce bars)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 can or bottle (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup Blueberry Balsamic

DIRECTIONS

Place the walnut pieces into a dry skillet and toast over very low heat, about 15 minutes, flipping the skillet to stir occasionally (we set the timer for this because we always forget about them). While the walnuts are toasting, prepare a foil “sling” for your baking dish to make it easy to remove the fudge when finished.  Use an 8×8 baking dish.  Fold a sheet of foil, length-wise, just narrower than the inside of your 8-inch dish.  Make the sheet long enough to hang over the sides.  Place in baking dish and spray the foil and dish with cooking spray (or brush with EVOO). Put about 2 cups of water in a medium-large saucepan on the stove to boil. Chop the bars of chocolate into very small bits aiming for consistent sized pieces.  This will help melt the chocolate evenly.  Place chopped chocolate into a medium-large stainless steel bowl (or any heat-proof bowl that can sit atop a pan of boiling water). Toss the salt and baking soda into the bowl of chocolate and stir well to distribute evenly. Add sweetened condensed milk and balsamic vinegar and stir the mixture well. Reduce the heat on the stove so the water is just simmering and place bowl on top of saucepan.  Using a rubber spatula, stir the chocolate just until it’s almost fully melted, about 3-4 minutes.  Watch this very closely.  If the chocolate stays on the heat too long, it could separate, get greasy or get grainy. Remove the bowl from the heat before all of it is melted and continue to stir until chocolate is fully melted and smooth, about another 2 minutes.  Stir in toasted walnut pieces. Transfer fudge to prepared baking dish spreading to the edges to make an even layer.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Once fully set, remove from fridge and run a knife along the two opposite edges where the fudge directly touches the dish.  Then, use your foil sling to carefully remove from pan.  Discard foil and cut into squares and serve.  Store the fudge in a cool place wrapped tightly in plastic or in a zipper-lock bag.