Roy’s Light Chocolate-Peppermint Fudge

(see notes for plain fudge)

32 servings      1 Better Balance Bite/WW Point for 1 / 3 bites/points for 2

Calories 34      Fat 2.3g   Sat. Fat 1.4g   Protein 0.6g   Carbs 6g   Fiber 2.4g   Sugars 0.2g

Ingredients

· Cooking spray

· 2/3 cup pumpkin puree (see notes)

· 1/2–1 tsp peppermint extract

· 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (for flavor balance)

· 9 oz (255g) sugar-free chocolate chips (I used Lily’s)

· Optional: 1-2 crushed sugar-free peppermints

Directions

1. Lightly coat an 8x4 loaf pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment for easy removal. (see notes)

2. Blend pumpkin, peppermint, and vanilla in a mini food processor or in a bowl using a stick blender for 15-20 seconds, scraping down the sides halfway through. (see notes)

3. Melt chocolate in 20–30 sec intervals, stirring between each interval. Pour the melted chocolate into the mini food processor (or bowl) and process about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides halfway through.

4. Spread into the lined loaf pan, and sprinkle the top with crushed peppermints, if using.

5. Chill about 2 hours, then remove the fudge from the pan and cut into 32 one-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator for about 10 days.

Notes

· For plain chocolate fudge, simply remove the extracts and peppermint candies. Still process the pumpkin puree to make sure it is as smooth as possible.

· Swap out the peppermint extract for other flavors, if you’d like. Strawberry or orange would be delicious!

· Not a fan of pumpkin? I made this initially with 3/4 cup (150g) pureed banana, but the banana flavor was very pronounced. If you enjoy that flavor combination, feel free to exchange the pumpkin for banana. It may not work too well with peppermint, so be aware of that if you’re not making plain fudge.

· You can line your loaf pan with foil, but prefer the smoothness I get with parchment. If using foil, coat it lightly with cooking spray for easier fudge removal.

· I prefer a mini food processor for this because it can be difficult to get all of the fudge off a stick blender. I don’t recommend using a hand or stand mixer since I don’t think it will give the smooth texture fudge is known for.