Most people have experienced the joy of pairing delicious food with great wine to enhance the taste and experience of a special meal. Now, with the growing acceptance of cannabis enjoyed in all its forms, this concept has been expanded to include our favorite herb.
Given that cannabis comes in a wide variety of strains and subsequent outcomes, many gift givers this festive season are opting to create a special, personalized treat with a specific intent in mind. For example, would you like to see a particular family member calm down, relax, and actually be able to enjoy the holidays? Well, gift them with an edible infused with a relaxing indica strain. Have loads of shopping to do while also finding time to visit with family and friends? Treat yourself to a piece of candy infused with a strong sativa to get that energy boost and focus you crave.
My family has a fantastic marshmallow fudge recipe that has been handed down, generation to generation. This recipe is an excellent example of a sweet gift that any home cook can create with love for the festive season, and that will make the recipient feel relaxed, inspired, motivated, creative — whatever type of mood you wish to bestow upon those who enjoy cannabis.
Cannabis Strains And Their Terpene Profiles
The effect cannabis has on you is more than just down to whether it’s indica, sativa or hybrid. Different strains offer a variety of smells and tastes, or terpenes, which affect your outcome.
Having said that, indica strains are great for relaxation and relief from pain and anxiety, while the strongest strains can cause that couch-lock effect and aid in sleep. Some of the top indica strains include:
- Granddaddy Purple: Promotes physical relaxation and psychological euphoria, with a grape and berry aroma and taste.
- Bubba Kush: Powerful physical relaxation with sweet notes of coffee and chocolate.
- Blue Cheese: Calming effects that help to relieve pain and stress, with sweet and savory berry and blue cheese flavors
- Purple Kush: Provides a dreamy elation to assist with insomnia and pain relief, with sweet, earthy notes.
- Blueberry: Produces a calming relaxation of both body and mind, with sweet blueberry flavors, natch.
- Grape Ape: An assuaging strain to subdue anxiety, stress and pain, with a distinct grape flavor.
- Death Star: Brings about a relaxed, all-over euphoria with a mix of skunk and sweet tastes.
- Skywalker: Provides a nice cerebral high that’s not too hazy, with a sweet, fruity aroma.
- Northern Lights: A mellow high that relaxes the entire body to help with pain, insomnia and depression. Boasts spicy, sweet flavors.
- Sweet Tooth: A potent strain that gives you a euphoric feeling and the sweet smell of flowers and berries.
Sativa strains are noted for great energy production, boosts in creativity, as well as pain management and relief. Such big-name sativas include:
- Sour Diesel: Delivers an energizing effect to help with pain, depression and stress. A strong, diesel-like aroma.
- Jack Herer: Brings about a cerebral elevation that encourages creativity with a heavy pine scent.
- Green Crack: An invigorating strain that provides focus and energy with a fruity, tangy flavor.
- Durban Poison: Brings an energetic high with uplifting effects and a sweet taste.
- Alaskan Thunderfuck: Provides an intensely relaxing yet euphoric high with a marked appetite enrichment. Lemon, menthol and pine scents.
- Mauie Wowie: Gives a dynamic, creative high with pineapple tones.
- Harlequin: One of the highest CBD to THC ratios, making it effective in treating pain and anxiety, with an earthy, musky and sweet taste.
- Purple Haze: A high-energy strain with sweet flavors of berry and spice.
- Candyland: Delivers an uplifting and stimulating effect that assists with tension and pain relief.
- Tangie: A euphoric yet relaxing effect, with a strong citrus scent and flavor.
If you simply can’t decide on a single strain, you can always choose a hybrid. These strains are created to enhance certain aspects of each parent plant, therefore demonstrating characteristics of both sativa and indica. Some popular hybrid strains include:
- Blue Dream: Provides full-body relaxation, which assists with relief from nausea and pain while offering notes of sweet blueberry.
- Girl Scout Cookies: A strong strain for pain relief, nausea and appetite loss, with a sweet, earthy aroma.
- OG Kush: Brings an intense euphoria with pine and lemon scents. Useful for pain relief and stress/tension.
- White Widow: Delivers energy and promotes creativity with woody, earthy flavors.
- Pineapple Express: Provides an energetic buzz with a sweet, tropical taste.
- Headband: A potent strain that provides a relaxing effect. Great for pain relief, with diesel and lemon aromas.
- AK-47: Provides a long-lasting mental buzz along with relaxing physical sensation, with sweet and sour floral notes.
- Trainwreck: Brings an intense euphoria, assists with creativity and pain relief, with pine and lemon scents.
- Cherry Pie: A relaxed, happy high that really does smell like sweet and sour cherry pie.
- Dutch Treat: An uplifted mental high that’s known to reduce stress and relax the mind, with scents of pine, eucalyptus trees and sweet fruit.
Medicated Magical Fudge Recipe
Now that you’ve selected the appropriate strain for the outcome you want, you’re almost ready for some medicated magical fudge. The next step is to ensure you have that magic is in the form of infused cannabutter, either made the old-fashioned way or by using one of those technological advances like a MagicalButter machine. Either way, you’ll need a half-pound of well-infused butter — not margarine, and don’t cheap out. Get the good butter. Trust me, it’s worth it. And don’t forget to decarboxylate so you can obtain an even better end product with increased THC levels.
Ingredients List For Cannabis-Infused Fudge
Once you have your butter ready, you will also need a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot and the following ingredients:
- 1/2 pound of cannabutter
- 5 cups of granulated sugar
- One 15 ounce can of sweetened, condensed milk
- One 12 ounce bag of chocolate baking chips, such as dark, milk, semi-sweet or chocolate mint
- 1 large bag of marshmallows (small or large, size does not matter)
- 2 cups finely chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans (optional)
- 5 large dinner plates or 2 large sheet pans, fully buttered
- Large wooden spoon
**Please NOTE**
This is a recipe for candy, which can be very dangerous as it contains sugars heated to a high temperature that can easily burn. Please be careful and do not take your eyes off the stove when cooking. Plus, always supervise children and household pets when making this recipe.
Also, please be careful to know and understand dosages when creating edibles. This guide created by cannabis chef and author Cheri Sicard is one I reference every time I create a new edible. I never want to give a gift of something that comes from my kitchen without knowing THC levels, and this tool makes calculations simple.
Cooking Instructions For Cannabis-Infused Fudge
- Begin by gently melting the 1/2 pound of cannabutter in the large pot on low heat.
- Once melted, stir in 5 cups of granulated sugar and mix well.
- Add the can of sweetened, condensed milk and thoroughly incorporate.
- Turn the temperature up to medium and bring mixture to a full boil.
- Set timer for 8 minutes and do not touch.
- When timer goes off, remove from heat immediately.
- Add 1 bag of chocolate baking chips and 1 bag of marshmallows. Finely chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans can be incorporated into the fudge itself or sprinkled on top when cooling.
- Stir well with large wooden spoon to ensure ingredients is thoroughly incorporated, scraping the sides of the pot occasionally.
- Once well mixed, pour or spoon onto buttered plates or pan sheets and let cool (1–2 hours) before cutting (a pizza cutter is a great option) and serving.
This fudge will keep well for a few weeks in a well-sealed plastic container, and makes for the perfect holiday gift. This year, pair your favorite cannabis strain with this fudge to give gifts that will leave an individualized, lasting memory and as always, enjoy responsibly. Happy holidays!
