Holiday Fudge

Starting my Barn Hop post a bit early this week. I wanted to make sure I got it all written and didn't forget!! *laugh*

As promised, the recipe for fudge. Completely customizable as you will soon see. I will first post the basic recipe and then explain how to make it any flavor you want, with any add ins you may desire. I once made a delightful white chocolate cranberry walnut fudge, it was very popular.

I want to mention that you should have everything out and measured and ready before you start. Trying to tear open a bag of chocolate chips while the mixture is bubbling over = not good fudge. My first year (years and years back) was a complete mess.

This is pretty much the recipe on the jars of marshmallow cream in the stores, with a few tweaks. And of course in a bunch of flavors and styles.

Basic Fudge

Greased or foil lined pan. 9x9 for thicker squares, 9x13 for thinner.

3 cups sugar

2/3 cups or 1 small can evaporated milk

1 and 1/2 sticks (3/4 cups) butter

1 bag chocolate chips (12 oz.)

1 and 1/2 cups marshmallow cream or 3 cups marshmallows

1/2 cup nuts (any kind), chopped (optional)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ok, so you take the first 3 ingredients and put them in a saucepan over -medium- heat. Don't try to speed it up by using high, that didn't work my first year either...

Mix, mix, mix constantly. It will melt down very nice, smell heavenly and bubble well. You need to do this about 5 minutes. I used to time 5 minutes exactly until I got a candy thermometer. The temp should be soft ball stage, 238*.

Remove from the heat and add the cream and chocolate chips (nuts, if doing nuts...). Stir like crazy, when almost blended add the extract and mix quickly. It will start to set up fast so pour it into your pan.

Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Now for the first three years I made this fudge, this way only. Then I decided it was boring and tried white chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate. I was very pleased. So to make any flavor you want just use any flavor chip you like. I made butterscotch this year, as well as a white chocolate with mint pieces. For the add ins just substitute your desire for the nuts, up to one cup. I wouldn't go over one cup because then you get crumbly fudge. So half a cup nuts and half a cup dried cherries = one cup add ins. You can also change the extract. One year  made a great chocolate orange fudge just by using orange extract instead of vanilla. Looked like chocolate fudge but tasted fabulously orange-y. Like those break apart chocolate oranges do. So you can see how this can be very versatile and super personalized to your family.

For my pictured fudge I used one cup of starlight mint candies, but once they were crushed it was only 1/2 cup. I used white chocolate chips in place of chocolate and I also substituted mint extract for vanilla. Once poured into the pan I sprinkled with a bit more crushed mint and lightly pressed them in so it would grip. I also used a 9x9 pan, which is why they are so fat.