Temper The Sweetness Of Fudge With A Pinch Of Espresso Powder

Fudge can be cloyingly sweet. For some lovers of this treat, that's the point. However, if you are a fan of this confection but want to temper its sugary bite, try adding a pinch of espresso powder. Made by combining either sugar and cream or sweetened condensed milk with butter and chocolate, fudge is, in a word, decadent. But when chocolate meets coffee, this concentrated, caffeine-rich ingredient can deepen and enhance its flavor, leaving a rich mocha fudge satisfying — without the sensation it could give you a toothache. 

Espresso powder mutes sugar's sweetness, allowing the chocolate to take center stage. Nevertheless, be careful what you grab from your pantry. Espresso powder is different from instant coffee. While instant coffee is designed for drinking, espresso powder is a dark roasted coffee that's been brewed, dehydrated, and ground into a fine powder for baking. It will easily dissolve when added to your saucepan with the other fudge ingredients as they warm, leaving behind a silky smooth texture. 

But don't start scooping heaping teaspoons of espresso powder haphazardly. Because it is so concentrated, it doesn't take much to cut through the sugary taste of fudge. Start with a teaspoon or two. You can always add more to taste. Also, consider who you are feeding this treat to. Sugar and caffeine are a wonderful grown-up combo, but if this fudge is for the kiddos, go easy with the espresso powder, unless, in addition to the sugar rush, you want them bouncing off the walls like the Energizer bunny. 

Additionally, consider what type of fudge you are making before reaching for the espresso powder. You don't want it to overwhelm or compete with other flavors. Some of the best fudge recipes to start experimenting with include peanut butter chocolate fudge and creamy chocolate peppermint fudge. Peppermint's sharp, cool notes contrast with the bitterness of espresso powder, creating a peppermint mocha fudge that is minty and sweet without tasting like toothpaste. That said, adding this ingredient to an orange creamsicle fudge or a gingerbread fudge may clash, but you can always do a small batch test to determine if it's a nice addition.