This fudge is everything that a good fudge should be: chocolatey, decadent, and thick. It's just lovely. :)
A few years ago, I made a cookbook of family recipes, and it's always fun to go through it during the Christmas season. My family has some good cooks and bakers! There are so many different ways to make fudge, many of which often call for a candy thermometer. This recipe pretty much involves melting lots of simple things together.
First, you'll bring sugar, evaporated milk, and butter to a boil. By bringing it to a boil, this ensures that the sugar melts, and this will help you get that nice shiny sheen for the fudge. Then, after the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter reach a boil, you'll then add the remaining ingredients one by one. There are a few different types of chocolate to use here. I used a bag of Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips, a large Lindt bar, and then some Ghirardelli unsweetened chocolate. You'll also add some marshmallows along with vanilla extract. Chocolate and nuts go well together, and if possible, toasting the nuts before adding them to the fudge mixture will help bring out their flavor more. I used a combination of pecans, walnuts, and almonds. If you don't like nuts, just omit them.
After the fudge finished cooking, you'll need to pour it into a large sheet pan. I sprinkled some fleur de sel over the fudge, just because. ;) Make sure to either butter the pan or line it with parchment paper to allow easy removal of the fudge. The fudge will need a few hours to cool and harden at room temperature. You could speed it up by sticking the cookie sheet in the refrigerator. After the fudge cools, slice away. I find that using a metal bench scraper makes cutting the fudge easy. If fudge starts sticking to the bench scraper or your knife, I would suggest dipping it in hot water, wiping it with a dish towel, and then slicing it again.
This makes a lot of fudge - 5 pounds of it! Fudge freezes very well, so you can keep some of the leftover fudge for you, too.
Make up a batch of this, add it to some cute Christmas tins or candy boxes, and spread the sweetness this season!
Grammy's Christmas Fudge
Yields 5 lbs. of fudge
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
12 oz. chocolate chips
13 oz. chocolate bar of your choice
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
8 oz. small marshmallows
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups nuts, chopped (optional but recommended)
Directions:
Line a large sheet pan (at least a 3/4 sheet pan) with parchment paper and set aside.
In at least a 5 quart pot, cook the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter. Boil covered for 5 minutes. Then, add the remaining ingredients, one at a time, beating each well into the mixture. After all ingredients have been added, remove from heat, and spread into the cookie sheet.
Source: Grammy :)
I want to make Grammy's fudge! Old family recipes are always the best because they've got so many fans. Merry Christmas!
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