Secret Ingredient Fudge

One of my family's holiday traditions is fudge. And this is not just any fudge. It is creamy and delicious, and it has a secret ingredient! When I was in school, my mom and I would make batches and batches for all of mine and my brother's teachers and all of our friends and family. Then after Jake and I got married, I started making it for all of our friends and co-workers.

Everyone loves it! It's very rich and creamy, but it's not overly sugary like some kinds of fudge. And it's always fun to make people try to guess the secret ingredient when they tasted it for the first time. :)

I've gotten all kinds of guesses...coconut...butterscotch...Nutella...cream cheese...Only one person has ever been able to guess it! She was a co-worker of mine back who was several months pregnant and claimed that her pregnancy hormones had given her superhuman taste and smell. Ha! :)

So...Any guesses???

Now let me warn you, it's going to sound really weird! It's something you would probably never consider putting in fudge and actually sounds like it would be disgusting combined with chocolate. But I promise you, it is anything but disgusting!

Are you ready???

Here it is:

That's right...Velveeta cheese!! I know it sounds crazy, but trust me, it is amazing!

The second best thing about this fudge (other than it's delicious taste) is that it is super easy! It does not require a candy thermometer, testing for "soft-ball stage" or anything like that. The process is very simple, and you only need five ingredients:

Velveeta, Butter, Powdered Sugar, Cocoa, and Vanilla (preferably Mexican)

First, cube your butter and Velveeta and put it in a double boiler.

Yes, this is A LOT of butter and cheese. I would not recommend making this recipe too frequently. But once a year, it is definitely worth the calories! :)

Slowly melt the butter and cheese in the double boiler, stirring frequently. If you don't have a double boiler, I imagine you could do this in the microwave. Just make sure not to overheat it or the cheese may burn.

The cheese and butter will never fully incorporate. It will look grainy and honestly a little gross. But trust me, it will work.

While your cheese and butter are melting, sift together your cocoa and powdered sugar.

Now the original recipe calls for 4 pounds of powdered sugar, but years ago, we decided it was better not to use the full amount. The taste and texture are both better if you leave a little of the powdered sugar in the bag. I forgot to take a picture of the bag after I was finished, but there was probably about an inch left in the bottom.

Make sure to use a pretty big bowl. And make sure your bowl is heat-proof.

Once your butter and cheese are melted, pour it into the powdered sugar/cocoa mixture.

Add your vanilla and mix until everything is well combined. It should look something like this:

Pour into two 9 x 13 pans (told you it made a lot!), and pat it out with your fingers until smooth.

We usually let it set up on the counter for a couple of hours before cutting it. And we always cut pretty small pieces because it is VERY rich. But also VERY delicious! And it also freezes well if you want to make it ahead or have any leftovers.

This makes a great gift or dessert for a holiday party. But if you make it, you must make people guess the secret ingredient before telling them!

Enjoy!