My Favorite Fudge Recipe
MY FUDGE RECIPE
I have been making this fudge recipe for as long as I can recall, and whenever a church has a pot luck supper, a tall bowl of my fudge usually has a way of showing up on the table. My usual way of makingthis calls for two tablespoons of coffee brandy, but for church suppers I use instant coffee in place of the brandy. For me, there are a few keys to making a good batch of homemade fudge, one is to use a large heavy pot - I have a heavy aluminum pot I use, a five quart size and nothing ever burns in that thing. The second key to success is to boil the mixture for the full time. The third key is to stir, stir, stir. I stir for the entire time the mixture is cooking. Last but not least, line your pan you will be pouring youyr mixture into with a piece of wax paper. It will make removing the fudge once it has hardened a whole lot easier.
2 1/4 cups sugar
12 marshmellows
dash of salt
1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 to 1 cup walnut pieces
2/3 cup evaporated can milk
6 tablespoons butter
6 ounces chocolate bits
2 tablespoons coffee brandy (or 1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water)
a clock within eyesight
two oven mitts
Line a square pan with a piece of wax paper. set aside. In a large heavy pan, place the butter, sugar, marshmellows, salt and milk. Heat to a boil, stirring as it heats. Your oven mitts will help protect your hands from getting burned if any of the mixture splatters up as its boiling. Once the mixture comes to a boil, keep stirring and keep an eye on the mixture, it usually foams up at the beginning and I often have to ajust the heat so the mixture doesn't rise up over the top of the pot, you may even have to remove the pot for a minute or two to allow the mixture to settle. Boil for six minutes stirring the entire time.
Remove mixture from heat. Stir in the chocolate bits and stir until melted. Stir in the vanilla and coffee brandy and stir for a couple minutes more. Stir in the nuts and carefully pour the hot mixture into a square pan. Allow to cool and harden in refrigorator for several hours. I have three kids, so we cheat and place the mixture in the freezer for about an hour to quicken the hardening process. Once hardened, the fudge is ready to remove from the pan and cut up. If you are making a gift box or gift basket of fudge, you can wrap each piece of fudge in clear plastic wrap.
TO MAKE A DOUBLE BATCH OF FUDGE
4 1/2 cups sugar
24 marshmellows
dash salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup walnut pieces
1 1/3 cups evaporated can milk
12 tablespoons butter
12 ounces chocolate bits
2 tablespoons brandy
Do everything as you would for a regular batch. I make the double batch because I have three kids and some always goes to friends. If you want just plain chocolate fudge, don't add the brandy. Some times we drop a handful of miniature marshmellows into the fudge as well, pressing them lightly down into the mixture once the mixture has cooled a bit.
