Dad's Fudge

Total Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup nuts, broken into pieces and toasted (black walnuts, butternuts, pecans or english walnuts; we prefer black walnuts. approximately 2-ounce) (optional)
• 18 -20 whole nutmeats, for garnish (optional)

Recipe

• 1 before beginning to cook fudge, be sure to have an 8-inch square or round baking dish buttered (do not use non-stick cooking spray).
• 2 have hand held electric mixer set up and ready to use.
• 3 have butter, vanilla and nuts measured and ready to add.
• 4 if you wish to have the nuts in the fudge, toast them in the oven at 350 deg f for 10 minutes shaking after the first 5 minutes.
• 5 set nuts aside to cool.
• 6 measure sugar, cocoa and salt into a 4-quart heavy bottom saucepan (i use either my aluminum-clad or copper-clad stainless steel dutch oven).
• 7 note: if the saucepan is smaller than this you will need to reduce the recipe or it will boil over!
• 8 blend together dry ingredients in saucepan, then add the milk, stirring until blended.
• 9 bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
• 10 note: if mixture is spattering out of pan, reduce heat slightly.
• 11 (because of spattering, i like to use my long handled wooden spoons.) boil until mixture forms a soft ball when tested in cold water.
• 12 remove from heat.
• 13 immediately add butter, vanilla and toasted nuts, if desired.
• 14 beat at high speed with electric hand-mixer until fudge begins to stiffen.
• 15 quickly, dump into prepared, buttered pan scraping sides of saucepan and spread evenly.
• 16 fudge will lose its gloss during this last step.
• 17 while still warm, cut into desired servings.
• 18 garnish the top of each serving with a whole nut meats if desired.
• 19 attention: if the stiffening and loss of gloss occur simultaneously you have overcooked it.
• 20 all is not lost, return to saucepan, add an additional tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons milk and melt until smooth over medium heat (fudge will still be edible, but will be somewhat sugary if this becomes necessary).