FOOD FUN: Candy Corn Fudge

Fudge in an homage to candy corn. Photo courtesy The Pampered Chef.

October 30th is National Candy Corn Day. According to the National Confectioners Association, more than 20 million pounds of candy corn are sold during the Halloween season.

The iconic confection was created in the late 1880s by George Roniger of the Wunderlee Candy Company in Philadelphia. The first three-layer candy, it was laboriously made by hand.

Even with today’s machinery, it takes 4 to 5 days to create each piece of candy corn (here’s a video of candy corn being made). Each kernel has 3.57 calories, and it’s all sugar (the ingredients are corn syrup, honey, sugar and food coloring, coated with carnauba wax).

The orange, yellow and white colors of the candy corn can actually be found in fresh corn kernels—though the colors are intensified by the candymakers. Some companies create an “Indian corn” version, substituting brown for the yellow base color.

Why not “fudge the rules” by turning fudge into candy corn? It’s vanilla fudge, made in three layers that are the color of candy corn. The recipe is courtesy of ThePamperedChef.com.

Don’t like fudge? Try this candy corn cocktail, or simply mix candy corn into some popcorn (almonds optional).

Preparation

1. MICROWAVE chocolate and condensed milk in a 3 cup bowl, uncovered, on HIGH for 1-2 minutes. Stir every 30 seconds until melted.

2. LINE a loaf pan with waxed paper and pour in one-third of the fudge mixture, spreading evenly.

3. PLACE pan in freezer 5 minutes to cool. If the fudge mixture in the prep bowl has begun to set, microwave an additional 15 seconds.

4. DIVIDE remaining fudge mixture into two bowls. Add yellow food coloring to one bowl and mix well. Add red food coloring to the other bowl and mix well.

5. REMOVE fudge from freezer. Pour orange fudge mixture over first layer; return to freezer for 5 minutes. Then pour yellow fudge mixture over first two layers and place in freezer for about 45 minutes or until set.

6. REMOVE fudge from pan. Cut into 4 lengthwise rows with a pizza cutter or other implement.

7. TURN rows on their sides and cut into triangles.

8. STORE in an airtight container in refrigerator.