Creamy Chocolate Fudge

Fudge is always a welcome treat. Many of us think of it as a holiday candy and there are always recipes that are shared during that time for holiday giving and entertaining.  It is something my family enjoys making anytime

When you are on a tight budget it is hard to think of something to do with the kids when they are on summer break.  We like to do movie night with large bowels of popcorn, brownies, hot chocolate, homemade ice cream or homemade fudge.  The kids will stand at the Redbox outside of our local grocery and look for a movie they want to see.  Then they want to plan a movie night because rental for the movie is inexpensive. We don’t have a regular movie night but whenever they see something that is being offered that will hold their interest.  They beg and I give in.  The rental box is only a couple of blocks from here so it is easy to pick up and return on time. The kids are also smart and know to watch for deals online.  Red box sometimes offers a free rental online with a code that you can use at the rental box.

The fun comes in the planning and making the treats.  It can be anything like small peanut butter and jelly finger sandwiches to homemade pizza.  The kids will look through the pantry to see what can be used for movie night. But if they see a can of evaporated milk, then it is “can we have fudge?”  I always watch for chocolate chips and other baking chocolate when on sale or marked down after Christmas and Easter.  I hoard all that I can get for baking during the year and making candy. I actually have a little slush fund for buying baking goods that I hide in my purse to use when I see great deals. I am always on the lookout for them.

My go to recipes uses marshmallows or marshmallow cream. I have to confess this is a very easy recipe and it is hard to screw up.  The rule around here is to make do and that means use the marshmallows that might be lurking in the cupboard. I have even used holiday ones.  This batch that I photographed was made with pale yellow snowman marshmallows that was bought for fifty cents last spring and bittersweet Nestle’s 4 oz. baking bars that was bought on a clearance sale. I used 3 bars and chopped them up real fine before I started.  The snowmen were in between a mini or standard marshmallow so I just packed them in a measuring cup and threw in an extra handful for good measure. After years of doing a recipe you always develop an eye for estimating what you need. I have seen recipes that only call for 9 ounces of chocolate but this is an older recipe that calls for 12 ounces which is usually how much is in a bag of chips.

The recipe originally came from the back of a evaporated can of milk many decades ago.

• Servings: 24 servings
• Time: 15 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine (butter is better)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup of evaporated milk
• 2 cups mini marshmallows or 16 large ones
• 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Butter a 8 inch x 8 inch baking pan or dish.

In a large pan add sugar, butter, salt, evaporated milk and marshmallows. Cook over medium heat constantly stirring. When the mixture begins to boil cook for 5 minutes while stirring.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and vanilla. Stir until chocolate is melted.  Add nuts and pour into a prepared pan.  Cool or chill until set up. Cut in small squares.