Fantasy Fudge – Yummy and Easy

Merry Christmas!!!!

Want failproof fudge?  Why yes it is!  The secret is the marshmallow creme.  It helps stabilize the fudge and keep it from crystallizing.  After some failed attempts in my college dormroom without a candy thermometer, this is what I finally ended up making over and over and over.  I love this because it is easy to make, tastes great every time and doesn’t dirty up a lot of dishes.  You have one pot to clean.  That’s it.  Not too shabby after dirtying up the kitchen making those homemade marshmallows!

Or as some say – Families are like fudge – mostly sweet but full of nuts.

Feel free to leave out the nuts.

For best results, I recommend Trader Joe’s semisweet chocolate chips.  After reading several blogs by normal people taste testers and advanced/ professional bakers – many mention that Trader Joe’s chocolate chips and cocoa work far superior to Hershey brand and a little better than the expensive ones as well.

Fantasy Fudge
about 60 servings- depending on the cut

3 cups sugar
1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (12 oz.)
2/3 cup evaporated milk
12 oz. (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips
1- 7 oz. jar of marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped nuts (I prefer walnuts)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1.  Prepare one 9×9 or one 9×13 pan with butter or non-stick aluminum foil or parchment paper.  Combine sugar, butter and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir to combine and continue mixing until it boils.  (Be sure your spatula will tolerate candy making.  My silicone one goes up to like 500 degrees.  Hubby didn’t think of this and melted one of my old ones.)  Once it starts boiling, continually stir and clip your candy thermometer on the side of the pot.  Cook to 234 degrees.  Take off the heat!
2.  Once off the heat, add chocolate chips and stir until melted.  Add marshmallow creme, nuts and vanilla.  Stir until incorporated.   Pour into prepared pan and let sit for at least 4 hours or overnight.
3.  Get a large thick knife and out and carefully cut into the fudge by pushing the knife down into the fudge and gently pulling up and toward you.  I found cutting like normal rips the fudge apart sometimes.

Recipe mainly from the back of the Kraft Marshmallow can from the 80’s.  The temperature and method from Alton Brown and my own experience.