Almond Joy Fudge

Hi everyone! It’s Ashton here from Something Swanky, and I am beyond giddy with excitement to be joining the Best Friends For Frosting contributor gang! Today I’ll be sharing a delicious recipe for Almond Joy Fudge. This fudge is simply a bigger, badder version of an Almond Joy, which happens to be my favorite candy! Aside from the incredible coconut filling, the best part about this fudge is that it’s made with Hershey’s Kisses. Don’t cheat and substitute chocolate chips! The Hershey’s Kisses give this fudge that classic candy-bar-milk-chocolate flavor that makes it taste so much like a real Almond Joy. Enjoy!

Almond Joy Fudge

for the Fudge Layer:

• 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate candy melts (like Wilton or Almond Bark)
• 1 – 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Coconut Layer:

• 1 – 14 oz bag sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Chocolate Candy Layer:

• 20 whole raw almonds
• 1 cup chocolate candy melts (like Wilton or Almond Bark)

Directions:

1. Prepare a 9×9-inch baking dish by lining it with parchment paper and lightly spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
   
2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together the Hershey’s Kisses, the chocolate melting candy, and the whole can of sweetened condensed milk until melted and smooth. The mixture should start to pull away from the edges of the pan.
3. Scrape fudge into the prepared baking dish and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk, the coconut, and the powdered sugar. It’s best if you can use a stand mixer for this, as it really takes some “elbow grease” to mix it together thoroughly. If you choose to mix by hand, be aware, the mixture may appear dry at first, but as you continue to “work” the coconut, the consistency will improve.
5. Spread out a piece of parchment or wax paper that is approximately the size of the 9×9-inch dish. Scrape out the coconut mixture onto the paper. Use a rubber spatula or clean hands to press the coconut into a square the size of the dish. Invert the coconut square on top of the fudge and gently press down.
6. Spread the almonds evenly over top of the coconut layer.
7. Microwave the remaining melting chocolate for one minute. Stir until smooth and pour as evenly as possible over the almonds. Use a rubber spatula to gently spread the chocolate in an even layer. Let fudge cool completely to set, about 4-6 hours at room temperature or an hour in the refrigerator.
8. Cut into 1 inch squares to serve. (I found that inverting the dish onto a cutting board and cutting from the bottom, the soft layer, down to the hard chocolate layer made the cutting a little less messy.)