Party Animal: Animal Cracker Fudge Recipe

When I was a kid one of my favorite after school treats was animal crackers (the iced pink and white kind). And even still now, on road trips or plane rides, I’ll randomly grab a bag and it takes me back to those days when I was a kid.

Outside of those special occasions, however, it’s not something I eat all that often. I think it’s because I feel a little childish when I buy them and even though I don’t have a problem with that, there’s something about it that stops me the majority of the time.

So, I thought it would be fun to bring that childhood snack into a more adult realm and turn it into fudge, with Anissa’s help. And dang! It is THE best fudge we’ve made so far. You have to try this one!

Ingredients:

• 1 5oz can of evaporated milk
• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 3 cups of sugar
• 7 oz of marshmallow cream
• 11.5 oz of white chocolate chips
• 1 bag of circus animal cookies
• 1 tablespoon of nonpareil

Instructions:

1. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
2. Pour all of the animal cookies into a bag and crush the cookies into small to medium size pieces, using a rolling pin. Alternatively, you can use a food processor, if you prefer.
3. Mix the evaporated milk, butter, and sugar in a medium sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to not allow the mixture to burn.
4. Take the mixture off of the heat and stir in the marshmallow cream, 1/2 of the animal cookies pieces, and the white chocolate chips until everything is incorporated.
5. Then pour the mixture into the pan and spread using a spatula.
6. Next, sprinkle the rest of the cookie pieces on top, pressing into the fudge to make sure they stick, and sprinkle the nonpareil on fudge as well.

Recipe by Anissa Saxton
Photography and styling by Brittni Mehlhoff

Think yo-u’ll give this recipe a try? What was your favorite snack when you were a kid?