Fudge # 2

This is real, old-school fudge made the way your grandmother did it: sugar, milk, and unsweetened chocolate cooked to soft ball stage on a candy thermometer, then beaten until thick. No marshmallow fluff, no condensed milk shortcuts.

A candy thermometer is your best friend here. You’re looking for exactly 234°F (112°C), the soft ball stage, where a drop of the mixture forms a soft, pliable ball in cold water. Go past that and the fudge turns grainy and hard. Fall short and it won’t set.

The cooling step is just as important as the cooking. After you hit soft ball and add the butter, let the whole thing cool undisturbed to about 130°F (54°C) before you start beating. Beating too early produces a grainy texture. When you do beat, the fudge goes from glossy to matte and starts to thicken. That’s your window to fold in the walnuts and candied cherries and pour it out fast.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to prevent scorching; chocolate and sugar burn easily on thin pans
• Don’t stir while the mixture boils; stirring promotes crystal formation and leads to grainy fudge
• When the fudge starts to lose its gloss during beating, move FAST; it sets up in seconds
• A candy thermometer is a must; guessing temperatures is how batches fail

Variations

• Peanut butter swirl: Drop spoonfuls of warm peanut butter on top and swirl with a knife before it sets
• Pecan version: Swap walnuts for toasted pecans and skip the candied cherries
• Dark chocolate: Use bittersweet chocolate squares instead of unsweetened and reduce sugar by ¼ cup