5 Ways to Turn Homemade Fudge Into Wow-Worthy Gifts

Homemade Fudge Goes Fab!

Creamy, rich homemade fudge is a fabulous gift to bestow upon family, friends, and lucky neighbors, especially during the holiday season. But since a fudge-on-a-plate presentation can look pretty plain, here are five creative ways to add some flair and turn your fudge into eye-catching, mini masterpieces.

1. Fudge Wreath

Butter up a Bundt pan to make this centerpiece-worthy Rocky Road fudge wreath created by Phoodie, an Australian food blogger with an eye for great design. Just be forewarned: Show up at a holiday potluck with this sensational dessert only if you want to win Christmas forever. Do you know what else would be pretty as a wreath? This White Cranberry Walnut Fudge.

2. Fudge On a Stick

These individually wrapped bites of caramel and sea salt-topped fudge are the brainchild of Centsational Girl, a budget-minded food blogger from Northern California. We love how she inserts lollipop sticks into the squares and wraps each one in clear cellophane bags to turn them into hot chocolate stirrers for mugs of steaming milk. Ideas: Use wooden popsicle sticks or small wooden spoons for the stirrers, and top chocolate fudge with homemade marshmallows, like these wow-worthy Double-Decker Marshmallows.

3. Cookie Cutter Fudge

Who says fudge has to be cut into squares? Use cookie cutters to turn your fudge into all kinds of festive shapes. Here are two ways to do it; either way, the cookie cutter ends up being part of the gift (sweet!).

A) Cut simple shapes out of a cooled slab of fudge (make sure it's no thicker than your cookie cutter). Dress up the cut-outs with frosting or candies, and save the leftover fudge scraps for topping ice cream.

OR

B) Pour warm fudge into the cookie cutters and decorate with candies before they cool, as blogger Chocolate and Carrots does. Check out her tutorial for how-to tips.

4. Fudge Sauce Gift Box

Not going to lie — I'm stealing this idea: homemade fudge sauce and all the fixings for a sundae, nestled into a serving tray. It would make the most delightful hostess gift, agree?

5. Frilly Fudge

Here's an easy, low-cost way to dress up a tray of fudge: put a doily on it. #putadoilyonit. Make a batch of peanut butter fudge in a disposable pan. After cooling, cut it into squares and embellish each square with an unwrapped peanut butter cup candy. Use tape to adhere two doilies to the bottom of the pan, positioning them so they overlap slightly when you fold them over the top. Tie the whole thing off with a ribbon. Whoa. That was simple!

Tips for Wrapping, Storing and Mailing Fudge

1. Wrap It Right

Unlike hard candy, fudge can dry out and become crumbly when exposed to air. To keep it soft and fresh, wrap fudge tightly in plastic after it cools.

2. Cold Storage

Well-wrapped fudge will stay fresh for one to two weeks in a cool, dry pantry. For longer storage, keep it in the fridge for two to three weeks, or in the freezer for two to three months.

3. It's In the Mail

Soft, dense fudge survives being jostled in the mail better than many of its cookie cousins. Like all homemade food gifts, it's smart to let the recipient know what's coming so the fudge doesn't accidentally languish on the porch for a week or more before it's opened.

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See Recipes for Homemade Food Gifts