Dad's Fudge

By Cindy Lynn on October 08, 2002

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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)

Directions

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).
Have hand held electric mixer set up and ready to use.
Have butter, vanilla and nuts measured and ready to add.
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.
Set nuts aside to cool.
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).
Note: If the saucepan is smaller than this you will need to reduce the recipe or it will boil over!
Blend together dry ingredients in saucepan, then add the milk, stirring until blended.
Bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
Note: If mixture is spattering out of pan, reduce heat slightly.
(Because of spattering, I like to use my long handled wooden spoons.) Boil until mixture forms a soft ball when tested in cold water.
Remove from heat.
Immediately add butter, vanilla and toasted nuts, if desired.
Beat at high speed with electric hand-mixer until fudge begins to stiffen.
Quickly, dump into prepared, buttered pan scraping sides of saucepan and spread evenly.
Fudge will lose its gloss during this last step.
While still warm, cut into desired servings.
Garnish the top of each serving with a whole nut meats if desired.
Attention: If the stiffening and loss of gloss occur simultaneously you have overcooked it.
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).