Root Beer Float Fudge

Yes, this is totally possible and yes, this is totally amazing, so get out your candy thermometer and start cooking up some sugar to make this fudge instantly.  Here’s the deal: you make root beer flavored fudge (obviously), and then stir in marshmallows to basically recreate the whole float feel and taste.  Brilliant.

Two Important Questions As To Why This Recipe Rocks:

1. Who doesn’t like a root beer float?  I know it leaves a disgusting looking glass behind (really- have you ever seen the way the ice cream and the root beer congeal on the side of the glass?), but WOW- the two flavors together are worth even the unprettiest scum situation.  And a root beer float reeks of youth, kind of like cotton candy does.  So strip years off your aged life and hark back to childhood with an inappropriately large serving of this stuff.

2. Who doesn’t love fudge?  Fudge is a very special thing.  Anything made with sugar and cream into a dense, tooth-rotting substance ranks high in my books.  (Especially cold fudge.  Really.  Put it in the fridge and then eat it and then try telling me there isn’t a time and place for cold or frozen fudge in your mouth.)

I admit that this recipe will annoy you because you’ll have to go out and get the root beer extract, which I’m almost certain you so don’t have at home, but just click here to get yourself on over to the Amazon Machine and it’ll arrive before you know it.

I’m so giddy about this recipe and I just want you to make it and love it too, so will you please just do it already?!

Adapted from the Culinary Institute of America’s recipe (they know what they’re doing)…

4 cups sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon root beer extract/flavoring

2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1. In a 4-quart saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, cream, milk and salt.  Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula, until the mixture reaches 236º.  Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the root beer and vanilla extracts.
2. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13? baking pan to cool down before stirring.  Leave the pan undisturbed on a cooling rack to cool to 120º or so (about 25 minutes).  Do not stir the fudge during this step or you will completely screw it up.
3. Butter a 9? square baking pan and set aside.  (I like to line mine with foil and then butter the foil, but it’s up to you.)
4. Pour the cooled fudge mixture into a large mixing bowl and mix on medium speed or by hand using a wooden spoon.  If using a mixer, it will require approximately 4 minutes of mixing.  Mixing by hand will take about 6-7 minutes.  When the fudge begins to lighten in color, lose a bit of its shine and thicken slightly, stir in the mini marshmallows and stop mixing.
5. Pour the fudge into the prepared 9? pan, and spread evenly with an offset spatula.  Allow the fudge to set and crystallize for 1 hour or longer at room temperature; it will lighten in color as it cools.  Chill slightly before cutting into desired pieces (if you want neat cutting lines), and serve.*

Tips:

• Ahh, science.  Don’t mess with these instructions.  If you stir the fudge while it’s in step 2, you’ve killed your batch.  (The sugar is sensitive and likes alone time after being cooked to such a high heat.  Don’t argue with it.)  Also, fudge gets testy when you’re stirring it (step 4)… when it just starts to thicken and lighten, you’ve gotta pour it in its buttered pan to set OR ELSE it will seize and harden in your pan.  And if you don’t stir it enough, it’ll be too soft.  (Regardless- it will all taste amazing and will all be worth the drama of cooking sugar.)
• Use a large enough pot or this will boil over and make you miserable as you clean hardened cooked sugar off your stovetop.
• When stirring in the marshmallows, be careful not to over stir or they will melt and swirl a bit.
• *If you don’t care if the fudge has neat cut marks, then cut it while it’s at room temperature.  It will look a little ragged but will still taste insanely great.  I’m a bit fanatical so I chill everything before I cut it, but don’t take on my obsessiveness if you can help it.
• Storage?  Keep tightly covered at room temperature or refrigerated tightly sealed for longer storage.  Or freeze it and have it for later.
• Enjoy your youth again!

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