Fredericksburg, Texas, Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hill Country Chocolate has introduced an artisanal fudge line at its chocolate shop in Fredericksburg, Texas, applying the same craft methods the company uses for its European-style bonbons to one of the most familiar confections in the American canon. The line opens with a creamy chocolate fudge finished with long-roasted Texas Crispy Pecans, a pecan the company roasts in house from nuts sourced directly from growers in San Saba, Texas.
Hill Country Chocolate’s new chocolate pecan fudge, cut to show the house-roasted Texas Crispy Pecans set throughout the slab.
Fudge has been a fixture of American vacation towns for more than a century, sold by the slab on main streets from the coasts to the Hill Country. It is also, by reputation, a confection that is rarely made well at scale. Batches are frequently oversweetened, grainy, or heavy with fat, and the chocolate itself is often an afterthought.
Hill Country Chocolate approached the format the way it approaches a bonbon. The fudge is built to be chocolate-forward rather than sugar-forward, with a fine, deliberate sugar-crystal structure that produces a firm cut and a soft, velvety melt. Butter and dairy carry the richness. The chocolate carries the flavor. The result is a confection that is familiar in shape and unfamiliar in execution: a square that cuts cleanly, yields under light pressure, and finishes cocoa-forward instead of cloying.
The pecan in the fudge is treated as a separate craft rather than a garnish. San Saba, Texas is one of the most significant pecan-growing regions in the world, and the company buys directly from growers there rather than through a broker. The nuts are then long-roasted in house to develop a deep, toasted flavor and a durable snap that holds up inside a soft confection. That roast is the difference between a pecan that goes soft in the fudge and one that keeps its texture through the last bite.
“Fudge should never be an afterthought,” said Dan McCoy, Executive Chocolatier at Hill Country Chocolate. “It is the confection people remember from a summer trip, and it almost never lives up to the memory. The approach here was simple: treat it like a chocolate, not like a candy. Real chocolate, house-roasted pecans from growers the shop actually knows, and the patience to get the crystal structure right. Fredericksburg fudge, made the way a chocolate maker would make it.”
The fudge line reflects a broader pattern in how the company builds its menu. The shop is known regionally for its artisanal bonbon collection, made with European technique and tempered, hand-finished shells. It also makes the American confections visitors actually ask for, and it develops those products with the same standards applied to the fine-chocolate side of the case.
That combination extends to the company’s in-person programming. Hill Country Chocolate hosts the Premiere Wine and Chocolate Experience and the Bacon and Bonbons Experience, guided tasting sessions built around pairing and technique rather than sampling alone. The sessions draw hundreds of guests most weekends. The artisanal fudge line is intended to sit between those two poles: an approachable, giftable confection with the sourcing and technique of the fine-chocolate case behind it.
The chocolate pecan fudge is available now at the Hill Country Chocolate retail shop in Fredericksburg, Texas, and online. Additional fudge varieties are planned to follow, each built on the same chocolate-first base.
A single square of the chocolate pecan fudge, topped with long-roasted pecan halves sourced from growers in San Saba, Texas.
About Hill Country Chocolate
Hill Country Chocolate is an award-winning artisanal chocolate maker in historic Fredericksburg, Texas, blending European chocolate-making traditions with regional Hill Country flavors. Named “Best Chocolate Shop” in the 2025 Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post Readers’ Choice awards, the company has become nationally recognized for its Premiere Wine & Chocolate Experience — featured in Texas Monthly and D Magazine — which pairs signature bonbons and confections with curated wines from around the world. Beyond chocolate-making, Hill Country Chocolate is pioneering the use of AI in artisan food manufacturing. Co-founder Dan McCoy delivered the keynote address at the 2026 Western Candy Association meeting on AI applications in chocolate and confectionery manufacturing. The company actively experiments with AI-assisted recipe development, process optimization, marketing automation, and SEO — documenting practical insights for small-scale producers. Dan McCoy and Melanie Bopp co-host Bean to Business, a weekly podcast for small manufacturers, hospitality businesses, and artisan food makers navigating modern operations while preserving craft quality. Dan shares insights regularly on LinkedIn and his Substack newsletter. Expertise areas: Wine and chocolate pairing, craft chocolate, bean-to-bar manufacturing, AI for small manufacturing, small business operations, Texas food and tourism, gift guides, artisan food marketing. Available for: Expert commentary, podcast interviews, product features, gift guide inclusions, trend pieces on AI in food manufacturing.
Press Inquiries
Dan McCoy
dan [at] hillcountrychocolate.com
(830) 992-3277
https://hillcountrychocolate.com
144 Industrial Loop
Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
