Psychedelicatessen: Mexican Spiced Fudge

"Welcome to Psychedelicatessen, a weekly column exploring the world of cannabis cuisine, including recipes from the great chefs and ganjapreneurs who fuel our appetite for adventure."

Surprise your stoner sweetheart with this medicated fudge that packs a hot chili flavor and sensual dose of cannabis designed to elevate your evening of romance.

Sweet Mary Jane uses a cannabis-infused sugar they’ve dubbed "Hey Sugar!," which you can find the recipe for below, or you can use regular sugar for this recipe and substitute two tablespoons of cannabutter.

In her new cookbook, Sweet Mary Jane founder Karin Lazarus writes: "This chocolate-butterscotch fudge spiced with chile will appeal to anyone who likes a little heat with her sugar. Grace Gutierrez, head baker at Sweet Mary Jane, developed the recipe when we wanted to spice up the menu. It was a hit from the get-go. Heat, stir, blend, chill, and let the fiesta begin."

Mexican Spiced Fudge

Makes 81 pieces.

Ingredients:
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup Hey Sugar! (see below)
1 (12-ounce) bag milk chocolate chips
1 (12-ounce) bag butterscotch chips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or cannabutter)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Grease a 9 x 9-inch pan with vegetable shortening.

2. Bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Set a medium heat-proof bowl over the simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Place the condensed milk, Hey Sugar!, milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and cannabutter in the bowl and heat until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy.

3. Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne, ancho chile powder and walnuts (if using) to the warm chocolate mixture and stir to combine.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Refrigerate until set, approximately 1 to 1½ hours. Cut into 81 equal size squares.

5. Store in an airtight container lined with waxed paper. Separate each layer of fudge with additional layers of waxed paper. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Hey Sugar!
Reprinted by permission of Penguin Random House from Sweet Mary Jane by Karin Lazarus

At Sweet Mary Jane, for the first few years, we infused all our baked goods with Buddha Budda or Coconut Bliss. But, eventually, I wanted to try another technique.

After some experimenting, I came up with the idea of infusing sugar. It turned out to be a genuine innovation. The beauty of infused sugar is that there is much less can­nabis flavor and color in the finished product. Many of the confections we sell use Hey Sugar! We also sell packages of it for people to use to sweeten their coffee or tea, or to bake with at home.

Use the highest proof alcohol you can find. If you have access to Everclear, use that. Otherwise, Bacardi 151 rum will do the trick (if not quite as well).
 

Hey Sugar! can be dropped into any hot drink. If you want to add it to a cold drink, heat a small portion of the liquid, add the Hey Sugar!, stir to dissolve and then add it to your drink. It can also be substituted for sugar in any of your favorite recipes.

As you will see in the recipes below, the amount of bud used determines the level of THC in the finished desserts, with three levels of dosing.

Yield for each of the following recipes is: 1/4 cup Hey Sugar!

Level 1 Ingredients:
1 1/2 gram cannabis buds, ground or finely crushed
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Yield: about 150 mg THC total

1 teaspoon = about 12.5mg THC

Level 2 Ingredients:
3 grams cannabis buds, ground or finely crushed
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Yield: about 300 mg THC total

1 teaspoon = about 25 mg THC 5 2

Level 3 Ingredients:
6 grams cannabis buds, ground or finely crushed
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Yield: about 600 mg THC total

1 teaspoon = about 50 mg THC

Infusion Tools:
2 mason jars
Funnel
Coffee filter
Small heat-proof baking dish
Heat-proof glass pie dish
High-proof alcohol: Everclear works best—however, not every state sells it; if you can’t purchase it, use Bacardi 151 rum

Directions:

1. Decarboxylate the cannabis: Preheat the oven to 250°F. Put the cannabis in a small, heat-proof baking dish and place in the oven. After 15 to 20 minutes, check the temperature of the cannabis with your digital temperature gun; once it has reached 250°F, let it bake for 30 minutes, checking the temperature frequently. (In addition to decarboxylating, you are removing any moisture left in the plant material.)

If it goes over the correct temperature for too long, it will burn, the THC may convert into CBN and you will lose potency. If not using immediately, store the cannabis in an airtight container in a dark place for up to 2 months.

2. Remove the baking dish from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 200°F. Transfer the cannabis to a mason jar. Pour in just enough alcohol to cover it and seal the jar. Shake the jar every 3 to 5 minutes for 20 minutes, then open the lid.

3. Line a strainer with a coffee filter and place it over a bowl. Pour the alcohol solution through the coffee filter to strain off the plant matter. Gently press with the back of spoon or your fingertips, being careful not to break the filter.

4. Place the sugar in a heat-proof glass pie dish. Add the strained alcohol solution to the sugar and bake for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring well every 10 minutes, until all the liquid has evaporated and the sugar is evenly colored. (The color can range from light to dark amber.)

5. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. There is no need to refrigerate. Hey Sugar! is good for 1 year.


Karin Lazarus, founder of Sweet Mary Jane Bakery in Boulder, Colorado, shares her secrets for creating 75 high-end desserts in this new cookbook. Tantalize your tastebuds with cannabis-infused Pop Star Caramel Corn, Twix Tricks Cupcakes, Chai High Truffles and more!

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