Chocolate Pistachio Fudge

The Christmas episode of Nigella Express was on television the other day. I had spent most of the Saturday suffering through a rather persistent headache and remember watching Nigella in the dark through a haze of sore head. It turns out I'm quite suggestible while I'm in this state, because I started feeling better on Sunday and made two recipes from that show.

This is the first: Nigella's Chocolate Pistachio Fudge. Nigella made these and then packaged them up for Christmas presents, but I just heard chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and pistachios and decided to give it a try.

Nigella says that these aren't really fudge as there isn't any element of candy making to it. You simply put all the ingredients except for the nuts and let them melt. Crush the nuts, add them in to the melted mixture and the pour it into a tray to cool and then cut it up.

It's really rich, but a small piece is enough to satisfy any chocolate craving. I love the contract of the bright green pistachios against the creamy brown of the chocolate too.

I didn't add all 30g of butter, because I hadn't bothered to get out my Nigella Express book and was using the recipe posted on Food Network instead which curiously omits the butter. Some of the reviewers recommended adding in two tablespoons of butter to make the chocolate smoother and shinier, I thought 'well, that's a good idea' and put in about one tablespoon. I found that they were slightly greasy while I was cutting them, so I don't think I would have been happy had I added more butter.

Chocolate Pistachio Fudge
from Nigella Express

350g dark chocolate (Nigella says minimum 70%, but I used 63% and was very happy), chopped
1 x 397g can sweetened condensed milk
1 tbs butter (Nigella recommends 30g)
pinch salt
1/2 cup pistachios (Nigella recommends 150g, I didn't have this many)

Put the chopped chocolate, condensed milk, butter and salt in a pan on a low heat and stir to melt.

Process the nuts into small pieces using a food processor (or using Nigella's freezer bag and rolling pin technique).

Add the nuts to the chocolate mixture and stir well to mix.

Spray a 9" foil baking tray with vegetable oil spray and pour the mixture in, smoothing the top.

Let the fudge cool and refrigerate until set. Cut into small pieces to serve. The fudge can be kept in the freezer once cut, no need to thaw before eating.