Chocolate Fudge

 

Use quality chocolate. The better the chocolate, the better the fudge.

 

1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla

2¼ cups sugar

1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter

¾ cup evaporated milk

16 large marshmallows

¼ tsp. salt

 

Line an 8-inch square cake pan with foil. Get your handheld electric mixer ready and have some oven mitts nearby.  To a large bowl, add the chocolate chips and vanilla. Set aside.  In a medium, 4-quart saucepan (no smaller or it will boil over), add the sugar, butter, evaporated milk, marshmallows, and salt. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, bring to a boil over medium heat. You want the marshmallows to be just about melted by the time the bubbling starts. If they’re not, reduce the heat a bit until they do. Once melted, bring the mixture to a heavy boil and, stirring, set the timer for 5 minutes. Careful—the hot mixture can spatter.  Remove the pot from the heat immediately, and carefully pour the hot mixture over the chocolate chips. On low speed, blend with the mixer until uniformly brown (blending on a higher speed will introduce air bubbles, which you don’t want). Quickly pour the fudge into your prepared pan. Let it cool. Cover and refrigerate until firm. Cut into 1-inch blocks with a hot knife (run the knife under hot water and wipe). Store covered in the refrigerator for about 1 week. Makes 2 lbs.