Country House Fudge- Martha Dixon

My Mom makes this amazing fudge every year at Christmas. It's very smooth, creamy, gooey and rich- not all dry and hard like alot of recipes I've tried. It's unlike any recipe I've found. You'll love it. You'll blow everyone away when you serve this! It calls for 4 cups nut meats but you can substitute those for whatever goodies you like (my all-time favorite is cherries). You can also add different flavorings to make your favorite! My Mom has made this with crushed cookie crumbs, nuts, coconut, peanut butter, caramel, cherries, raspberry flavor, mint flavor, rum flavor marshmallows... there are so many I can't remember them all. The recipe comes from a cookbook called "Martha Dixon's Copper Kettle Cook Book" from 1963. Martha Dixon was quite well-known at that time and had a cooking TV show that was really popular back then. There was no Food Network back then. It was Julia Child and later the Galloping Gourmet... remember them? Anyway, her show was on TV for several years. Some of you may remember her.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 117
• Yields: 234 1 inch squares

Ingredients

• 4 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (12 ounce) package  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 16  ounces  german's  sweet chocolate, broken up
• 1 (8 ounce)  Hershey Bars, broken up (8 oz)
• 20  ounces marshmallow cream
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4  cups  nutmeats

Directions

1. This makes several pounds of fudge (I think it's around 4) so it's the perfect recipe for the holidays. You can pour it into several smaller pans and make all of your different flavors with one batch. For example, you could divide it into 4 portions and add cookie crumbs to one, peanut butter to one, cherries to one and marshmallows to the last one. It's a great way to knock out alot of fudge at one time.
2. Boil together the sugar, salt, butter and milk. Gently boil for 8 to 10 minutes. Start timing it AFTER it comes to a full gentle boil. (stir it pretty frequently while this is going on).
3. Remove from heat and add the chocolate and all the rest of the ingredients. Stir rapidly with a large spoon until thoroughly blended.
4. Pour into 2 buttered pans (13x9). Cool several hours before cutting into 1 inch squares. Store covered tightly with plastic wrap. I keep mine in the fridge cause I like it cold.