Think of this as a pimped up Fruit & Nut bar. For me the recipe brings to mind a stroll through the woods and spying all the wild bounty. In fact, if I were anyone else, a foraging trip. Crunchy toasted almonds give a wonderful textural contrast to the smooth, creamy fudge studded with blueberry flavor. Being dried their flavor is that little bit more concentrated and works really well to provide pops of berry to counter the fudge becoming too cloying. As for the maple syrup? Well, IMO everything tastes better with maple syrup!

By the way- a date for your diary? May 12th is Nutty Fudge Day. There you have it- a perfect reason to try this recipe!

Blueberry & Almond Maple Fudge #recipe

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Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups good quality maple syrup
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• ¼ cup salted butter, cut into pieces
• ¼ cup dried blueberries
• ¼ cup whole almonds, toasted

Method

1. Line the bottom and sides of a 8″x 8″ x (at least) 2″ deep pan with baking parchment, leaving about 2” overhang on both the long sides
2. In a large, heavy saucepan bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium heat; simmer for 5 minutes, making sure to keep a very close watch as the syrup can rise quite a lot as it boils. If it starts to rise, lift the pan off the heat for a few seconds to allow the syrup to drop
3. After 5 minutes, pour in the evaporated milk and without stirring (but you can swirl the pan) bring the mixture back to the boil, be careful in case it bubbles and rises again, and let it simmer until it reaches 236°F (Soft Ball stage) on a candy thermometer. This usually takes about 20 minutes. It may be tempting to walk away but DON’T!
4. As soon as the mixture reaches that temperature, carefully remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter pieces to the pot but do not stir it in. Let the mixture cool for about 6 minutes
5. Carefully transfer the mixture a stand mixture bowl, scraping using heat-proof spatula and using the paddle attachment beat for about 6-7 minutes on high speed, until the sugar mixture gets thicker and lighter in color. It may look like it has crystalized, or separated, but beat on nonetheless
6. After the mixing time has passed fold in the dried blueberries and almonds
7. Transfer the fudge to the prepared pan, spreading to the edges. You may need to work quickly here as the fudge will start to the firm up
8.  Transfer to the fridge until completely set, about 2 to 3 hours
9. Lift the fudge from the pan and cut into squares with a sharp knife. Dipping the knife into hot water and wiping dry between cuts helps to get smooth, clean cuts. The number of pieces will depend on the size of your cuts. I usually get 21-24 pieces
10. Store in a cool dry place in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Best served at room temperature