Hi, folks. It's SarahKK again, commandeering the blog for a post or two. I meant to share this recipe before the holidays, but just in case you are looking for a really easy treat to bring to some New Year's Eve festivities, I've got you covered. Until this year's Icebox Cake, this fudge was what I had brought to every newsroom potluck since 1999.
It's my stepmom Maureen's interpretation of the recipe that used to be on the Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme jar, and it has tons of potential variations. First, the basic recipe:
Maureen's No-Fail Fudge
Prep time: 10 minutes plus cooling
Top of stove cooking time: 15 minutes
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk (NOT condensed; there is enough sugar here already)
1 (12-ounce or so) package milk chocolate chips
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Lightly grease 13x9 inch pan. Melt butter in a 2.5-3 quart saucepan and let it coat the bottom. (This will prevent the fudge mixture from sticking to the pan at the end.) Mix in sugar and milk; bring to a full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly.
Continue boiling for 5 minutes on medium heat or until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees (I've never used a thermometer and never had any problems), stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.
Gradually stir in chips until melted. Add vanilla and marshmallow cream. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan and cool at room temperature. Cut into squares.
Variations: Change it up by switching the kind of chips and extract. I've made peanut butter and chocolate, mint chocolate, dreamsicle (white chocolate and orange extract), lemon drop (white chocolate and lemon extract), chocolate raspberry (semisweet chocolate and freeze-dried raspberries that I happened to have on hand).
Every year, I think about learning to make some other kind of candy, but once I make this, it's all we eat.
And if this is too much indulgence after all the holiday eating, I have a healthier recipe coming later, too.
(Photo by me)