Tuesday, December 27, 2011

The Best Fudge Recipe I've Ever Made!

Christmas Day has come and gone and we survived our first celebration here in the little yellow cottage. We had 4 out of 5 grandsons present, two daughters, one son and two sons in love celebrating together!  What fun we had.  It was a bit crowded, but so what?  We were together and that is the most important thing.  Our older son, daughter in love and grandson live in New York City, and John had a show on Christmas Day so they were unable to join us this year.  But, we did spend time Skyping and got to watch our grandson open his gifts.  THAT is the amazingly fabulous thing about technology!  Being able to see each other face to face, talking like we were in the very same room.  Thank you to whomever invented Skype!

The holiday seasons for us are all about fun, fellowship and good food.  Our oldest daughter and her family moved to Nashville the week before Christmas and it was a wee bit hectic, trying to help them get enough things unpacked to be able to live for a few days AND get their Christmas shopping done all at the same time.  We watched our grandsons a couple of days to help her out and I didn't get my usual amount of baking done this year  - which is okay because there is usually waaaaay too much.   But, I did try some new recipes and made enough gluten free things that our son in love could also enjoy treats with the rest of us.  All in all, it was a very successful holiday.  

This fudge is fantastic - best recipe I have ever tried.  Candy is so cantankerous to make that I have sort of given up the last few years except for a couple of really reliable, easy things that I can count on.  You have to use a candy thermometer, the humidity affects the outcome, it's too hard, or too soft and on and on.  It is really frustrating.  Well, this year I found this recipe on Pinterest and it said it was a winner at the state fair.  Okay, I'll give it one more shot.  My husband LOVES chocolate and he LOVES fudge, but you know how fudge can be.  Sometimes it's grainy and sandy and I don't like that.  Or it's too hard or too soft.  Boo on that too.  I hate wasting time and ingredients on something that really isn't good.  But, this recipe is the best fudge recipe I have ever made bar none!  It is creamy, chocolaty, made a huge pan full and was worth the effort.  Think I will stick with this recipe from now on.

Here is what you need:

2 sticks of butter (use real butter)
6 cups of sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 jar marshmallow cream
1.5 (18 oz) packages chocolate chips (1 -12 oz bag and 1 -6 oz bag)
2 tsp vanilla

a jelly roll pan (approximately 11 x 15), butter bottom and sides of pan
a large dutch oven
1 wooden spoon

In a large dutch oven, melt the butter, sugar and evaporated milk on medium heat until boiling.  Once it boils, set timer to 6 minutes.  After 6 minutes, remove pan from heat and add marshmallow cream and chocolate chips.

Mix thoroughly with wooden spoon until all marshmallow cream and chocolate chips are melted and the contents are a nice even chocolate color.  Add vanilla and  continue to stir until fudge thickens and no longer runs quickly off the spoon.  It will be very glossy and  the fudge will kind of collapse off the spoon in big clumps.  That's how you know it's done.  The whole process took about 30/35 minutes.  Don't get in a hurry.

Pour the fudge onto the buttered jelly roll pan and spread evenly over pan.  Looks like this. (Are you drooling?)

Let the fudge sit about 30 minutes and it's ready to slice.  I cut it in about 1 inch squares and it makes TONS!  It is rich, sweet, chocolaty and just the right texture for my liking.  Dan has declared it the best!  He is a connoisseur of all things chocolate, so consider that confirmation of it's goodness.  : )

If you have more holiday parties to attend or are having a New Year's Eve Party, this is a wonderful treat for your guests.  It would also make lovely little treat bags for everyone to take home.  

Hope you will give this recipe a try, because the best part is you get to lick the spoon when the fudge is done and poured in the pan.  MMM, MMM, MMM, MMM.
Takes you back to childhood doesn't it?  Everyone likes to lick the spoon.  Yummm.  Enjoy this fabulous recipe.  Just one little square of this delicious fudge is so good with a cup of coffee.  Best dessert ever.  

Everyday Donna

Things to remember:

Go ahead, lick the spoon.  It's the best part!