Neon LOVE fudge

Skip boring milk chocolate fudge and present your valentine with this brightly colored batch of creamy white chocolate LOVE fudge.

Make Valentine’s Day extra-vibrant with some fluorescent fudge. Create bright bold blocks that express your LOVE. Or make stunning striped bites of this decadent dessert. Either way, you’re sure to leave a sweet impression.

The four blocks of fudge that spell L-O-V-E are inspired by Robert Indiana’s iconic, pop art LOVE sculpture. Originally created in 1970, more than 40 versions of it now appear in urban centers around the globe. (And I’m lucky enough to have one right outside my office window on the campus of Wichita State University.)

Neon LOVE fudge recipe

Ingredients and supplies:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces white chocolate chips
• 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 different bright food colors
• 2 ounces white candy melts (for making the letters)
• 4 (4 x 4-inch) containers
• Nonstick cooking spray
• LOVE printout (download PDF here)
• Plastic bag
• Piping bag with a small round decorator tip
• Heart-shaped cookie cutter (optional)

Directions:

Gather your ingredients.

Line 4 (4 x 4-inch) square containers with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray.

Over low heat, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the sour cream, sugar and salt. Increase the heat to medium and stir until the sugar melts. Increase the heat to high, stirring until it comes to a boil. Using a candy thermometer, cook and stir the fudge until reaches 235 degrees F. Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate chips and marshmallow cream. Stir until smooth. (If necessary, return the fudge to the heat to melt the chips.)

Pour equal amounts of the fudge mixture into 4 separate bowls.

Add food coloring to each bowl and stir until color is consistent. Pour each colored fudge mixture into separate foil-lined containers. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Remove the fudge from the containers and foil.

To make the LOVE fudge blocks, cut each color of fudge into 4 (2 inch) squares. Download and print out the LOVE letters and tape a plastic bag over the paper.

Melt 2 ounces white candy melts and put it in a plastic or piping bag with a small round decorator tip. Pipe the LOVE letters. Allow them to dry and harden.

Soften the fudge blocks slightly in the microwave for 8-10 seconds. Remove the letters from the plastic, flip them over and press them into the top of the fudge squares. Display for your LOVED ones to enjoy.

To make the striped fudge bites, cut each block of fudge into various widths of thin slices.

Align the slices and arrange the colors as you wish. Make 3 or 4 of these striped blocks of fudge.

Place the fudge between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Compress them slightly with a rolling pin.

Trim off the ragged edges and cut the rest into bite-size pieces.

You can also use small, heart-shaped cookie cutters to make festive shapes.

Whether it’s with neon stripes…

or blocks of LOVE.

More Valentine’s Day recipes

Red velvet fondue
5 Fruity Valentine’s Day cocktails
Red velvet pancakes with cream cheese glaze