Fudge

There is something very gratifying about making fudge. It is fast. It makes a great house gift; it is homemade and you can wrap it up in a box with a nice ribbon. Chances are you will be offered a piece of it by your host so you can enjoy some without being tempted to eat the whole batch by yourself, which would likely give you multiple and large pangs of guilt.

 

MAKES 16 TWO-INCH SQUARES

 

Ingredients:

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional 

¼ cup (half a stick) butter or margarine

¼ cup milk

1 tablespoon light corn syrup 

1 cup of granulated sugar

⅓ cup of baking cocoa 

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

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Instructions:

▪ Note that you will be working with two different kinds of sugar in this recipe: granulated sugar, which is regular white sugar and also confectioners' sugar, also known as powdered sugar. 

 

▪ Measure out the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl, add the nuts if you are going to use them, mix them together, and set this aside. Have ready at hand an eight-inch square pan.

 

▪ Put the butter or margarine, milk and corn syrup in a saucepan over low heat, and when the butter or margarine has melted stir in the granulated sugar and baking cocoa.

 

▪ Raise the heat enough to bring the mixture to a low boil. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

 

▪ Immediately add the confectioners’ sugar mixture and the vanilla. Stir until the sugar is well blended and pour into an eight-inch square pan. Spread the fudge evenly in the pan and smooth over the top.

 

▪ When the fudge is completely cooled, cut into squares.