Oh Fuuuudddge!

My favorite holiday is Christmas.  My favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Story.  My favorite holiday treat growing up was fudge.  I remember when my parents would make fudge...it always seemed like it was a two person job.  One of them was cooking down the marshmallows getting them to the right consistency while the other one was measuring out the remaining ingredients to quickly stir in when the marshmallows were done.  And then there were the times that the fudge didn't ever set up and it was more like a 9x13 pan of chocolate goo...no one would eat that kind of fudge.

Fudge always seemed very temperamental to me.  The marshmallows seemed to be the culprit - they needed to get to the correct candying temperature in order for the fudge to set.  But this could also be effected by the weather...somethings just need to be made at a certain time...ugh!

I've only made one pan of the marshmallow kind of fudge and it turned out okay, but it was a lot of work and the chances of getting burned on the pan are high.  Ever since, I've been looking for a non-marshmallow type of fudge...tada!

A 6 ingredient fudge that doesn't even involve turning on the stove!!!

All the ingredients except the nuts go into a microwave safe bowl.

I microwaved the bowl for 2 minutes on medium gave the mixture a good stirring.

Then put it back in the microwave for another 3 minutes on medium.

Once mixture is smooth, stir in the nuts.

Pour into pan and then put in the fridge and wait...

Once the fudge is set (couple of hours), you can then take it out and cut it.  An easy way to check if it's ready to be cut is to lift it out of the pan by the foil and touch the bottom center...if it's still warm, place back in pan and return it to the fridge for a little more chillin'.  If it's cold, you can then pull back the foil and cut.

So pretty!

Easy Fudge
   3 c. milk chocolate chips
   1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
   1/4 c. butter
   1/8 tsp salt
   1 tsp vanilla
   1 c. chopped walnuts (or pecans)

1.  Prep 8x8 pan with foil overhanging, spray with cooking spray.
2.  Microwave first 5 ingredients in a microwave safe bowl on medium power for 2-5 minutes.
3.  Stir in nuts.
4.  Pour into foil lined pan and refrigerate until set.
5.  Cut and enjoy!
6.  Refrigerate the leftovers, if you have any! : )

Tips:

 - The recipe I got from Skip to My Lou doesn't include the refrigerating step, but because this fudge hasn't been cooked to a candying temperature, it can't sit at room temperature without becoming a mess.

 - Smooth down the foil once it's in the pan, making sure there aren't any little edges that could get stuck in the fudge...you'll want smooth and pretty edges if you're making this for a gift.
 - I used pecans in the recipe, only because I had some, but you could add whatever kind of nut you prefer.
 - During the holiday season, dollar stores are filled with cute, decorative tins that you could put this fudge in for gifting...who doesn't love to get fudge?!

Click here to go to the site where I found this recipe...thanks, Skip to My Lou!

I'm going to do some experimenting with this recipe and different flavors...be watching for those posts.

Happy cooking!