35 8 DECEMBER 2022 Food&Drink FUDGE HEAVEN Emily Rodriguez makes a batch of fudge at the Serious Sweets kitchen “This is always an exciting time for us,” says Emily. “In the run up to November, it’s all hands on deck to get the Christmas orders ready – and nowwe get to see it on the shelves and know that people are buying it as a treat, or to give to friends or family. “We start thinking about this year’s Christmas flavours the previous December, and that’s always a fun part of the job. We like to come up with something a bit di erent each year, but it’s key to find flavours that complement the rich, buttery taste of the fudge and don’t overshadow it. This year, we’ve made an indulgent fudge with dark chocolate, cherries and a splash of amaretto, Christmassy flavours but also grown-up and not too sweet – it’s really delicious. We’ve kept themince pie fudge that was a big hit last year too. We useWaitrose mincemeat in it and the spices work fantastically with the flavour of the fudge. It smells like Christmas here when we’remaking that one. “Wemake all our fudge in a traditional way, with simple ingredients and plenty of butter to give it that rich, creamy flavour that’s so nostalgic. Our core teamof boilers have a lot of experience, and once the boiled fudge hits the perfect temperature, it’s transferred into copper pans before pouring it out into trays and letting it cool. That’s what gives it the melt-in-the-mouth texture that good fudge should have. “The lovely thing about making fudge is that it’s something people treat themselves to, and look forward to eating – and we’re passionate about making sure that when they take that first bite, they’ll love it.” ‘Coming upwith Christmas flavours is fun’ Emily Rodriguez is part of the teamat Serious Sweets in Harrogate, which supplies rich, crumblyWaitrose festive fudge ‘Wemake fudge in a traditional way, with simple ingredients and plenty of butter to give it that rich, creamy flavour’ Waitrose & Partners Dark Chocolate Cherry And Amaretto Fudge £3/130g Waitrose & Partners Mince Pie Fudge £3/130g
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