Remarkable Fudge

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups sugar
• 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
• 2 sticks butter and some extra to butter the sides of the pans
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder this is my addition, and it’s totally optional
• 1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 7.56-ounce Hershey’s Special Dark bar, cut up
• 1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla
• a nice glug of Kahlua  (while delicious, the addition of Kahlua causes us pain)

Instructions

• Butter a 13x9x2-inch pan
• Place the chocolate chips, cut-up chocolate bar, marshmallow creme, and nuts in a bowl. Set aside.
• Butter sides of the Dutch oven.
• In the saucepan, combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and instant espresso (if you choose to use it). Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking & stirring for ten minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Add the bowl of chocolate chips, cut-up chocolate bar, marshmallow creme, nuts, as well as the vanilla; stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is combined. Beat by hand for one minute (you may want another person to help with this). Spread in the prepared pan. Let the fudge firm up for 20-ish minutes and then score 1-inch squares. When fudge is firm, cut fudge into squares (I like to wait until the next day to cut the fudge). Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature. Makes about 4 pounds.

Notes About Making a Double Batch

Making a double batch is quite easy by following these steps:

• Use the stock pot and the Dutch oven.
• Prep both batches simultaneously through step 4 just up to the point of cooking. 
• Start cooking Batch 1 on the big burner. Wait 10 minutes. At the 10 minute point, start cooking Batch 2 on the small burner. This offset is the perfect amount of time to finish Batch 1, while Batch 2 is still cooking.