Day Four of Holiday Baking: Making Fudge is Kind of Like Making Soap

This is the fourth post of five in a series I'm calling Five Days of Holiday Baking. I'm taking a break from posting about soap making classes and instead sharing my favorite holiday dessert recipes. You'll love both of the fudge recipes I'm posting. They are both incredibly delicious: one is my personal favorite (super easy and versatile) and the other is my Mom's long-standing favorite that her mom (Grandma June) made for countless decades.

My fudge recipe (and my Mom's too) is a bit like make cold process soap. You can pick your additives (nuts, mini marshmallows, dried fruit, etc.) and change around the base recipe as much as you'd like. Unlike soapmaking, no need to run it through the lye calculator! Here's a trick - try making two recipe of fudge, for example one butterscotch and one chocolate, then pour simultaneously into your pan (reminding you of soap yet?) and gently swirl (although it will be quite thick at this point.

Marla's Super Easy Fudge Recipe

3 cups baking chips (chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, white chocolate, or even mix them)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
Optional: 1/2 to 1 cup "additives" (nuts, mini marshmallows, dried cranberries, M&Ms, etc.)

Directions: Line a 8 x8 pan with foil and butter it lightly. Melt chips, salt and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously. When chips are melted, remove from heat and add vanilla and any additives. Stir quickly to incorporate them well. The fudge will begin to thicken as starts to cool. Pour into foil-lined pan.

Let cool at room temperature for one to two hours. Cut immediately into squares and wrap in foil. Store in air-tight containers.

Mom's Favorite Fudge (Makes 3 lbs.)

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips (or peanut butter/white choc./butterscotch!)

1 7 oz. jar marshmellow creme

1 cup chopped nuts (or other additives!)

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, margarine, and milk in heavy 2 1/2 quart saucepan, bring to full rolling boil, stirring constantly.

Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium hear or until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.

Remove from heat, stir in chocolate chips until melted.

Add marshmallow creme, nuts, and vanilla, beat until well blended. Pour into greased 13x9 pan.

Cool at room temperature. Cut and wrap in foil.

Hope you are enjoying the recipes! Feel free to leave a comment with your favorites!