Fudge Chocolate and Holiday Baking

December. Pasteles season again. The second pandemic Christmas approaching, and I have made a decision: all four children will be here. Not for a week, not for a party, but for Nochebuena, one night, one meal, precautions in place, because I cannot — I will not — spend another Christmas without my children at my table. The pandemic can have March and April and May and June and July and August and September and October and November. It cannot have December. December is mine.

I called each child and gave the instructions — not a request, an instruction, because I am their mother and in this family the mother's instruction about Christmas dinner has the force of a federal mandate. Miguel Jr.: come, bring Jenny and Lucas and Isabella, mask until seated, bring a dish (Jenny's green bean casserole, which is American and fine and welcome at my table because the table holds both). Rosa: drive up from New Haven with Carlos, same rules. David: take the train from Brooklyn, bring James if James wants to come, and James should come because James is family now and family comes for Christmas. Sofía: you live here, you are already here, set the table.

David said, Mami, are you sure? I said, David, I have never been more sure of anything. He said, James wants to come. I said, Tell James I am making enough pernil for an army and he is in the army. James, on speakerphone, said, Yes ma'am. I said, Don't call me ma'am. Call me Mami. There was silence, and then James said, quietly, Thank you... Mami. And David was crying and James was crying and I was standing in my kitchen holding my phone and not crying because someone has to hold the structure together and that someone is always me, but the not-crying required effort, considerable effort, the kind of effort that only a Delgado woman can exert when her family is expanding.

The pernil is the centerpiece — it always is — but every general needs a second-in-command, and mine is chocolate fudge, which I make in three batches starting the morning of December 23rd and which disappears by midnight on December 24th without exception. This year I made a fourth batch. James was coming, and James had never been to a Delgado Christmas, and I needed him to understand immediately, from the first thing he touched in this house, that sweetness is the language we speak here. You want to welcome someone into a family? You put something in their hand the moment they walk through the door. You make fudge.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 25 min (includes chilling) | Servings: 36 pieces

Ingredients

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped (optional)
Holiday sprinkles or flaky sea salt for topping (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the pan. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides so you can lift the fudge out cleanly. Lightly butter the parchment.
Melt the chocolate base. In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Stir constantly with a silicone spatula, scraping the bottom and sides, until everything is fully melted and the mixture is glossy and smooth, 7–9 minutes. Do not rush this over higher heat or the chocolate will seize.
Season and fold. Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and sea salt. If using nuts, fold them in now until evenly distributed.
Pour and top. Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it into an even layer. Scatter holiday sprinkles or a pinch of flaky salt over the top if desired.
Chill until firm. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours, or until the fudge is completely set and firm to the touch. For cleanest cuts, chill overnight.
Cut and serve. Lift the fudge slab from the pan using the parchment overhang and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into 36 small squares. Wipe the blade between cuts for clean edges. Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature. Fudge keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

Nutrition (per serving)

Fudge Chocolate and Holiday Baking — The Sweet That Holds the Table Together