Nutty Chocolate Mint Fudge

This nutty chocolate mint fudge uses the marshmallow cream method, which means no candy thermometer, no guessing at soft-ball stage, and no grainy disasters. Marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, and butter come to a full rolling boil, then mint chocolate chips get stirred in off the heat until everything melts into a smooth, glossy mass. Chopped nuts and vanilla fold in last.

The mint chocolate chips do double duty as both the chocolate base and the mint flavoring, so you don’t need peppermint extract. The mint comes through clean and cool against the rich fudge.

Pour into a foil-lined pan, chill for two hours, and cut into squares. That’s it.

Kitchen Tips

• Stir constantly while bringing the mixture to a boil. Sugar and evaporated milk scorch fast on the bottom of the pan.
• Use a heavy-gauge saucepan. Thin pans have hot spots that cause uneven cooking and burnt sugar.
• Remove from heat before adding the chips. Residual heat melts them perfectly. Cooking the chips directly causes them to seize.
• Line the pan with foil for easy removal. Lift the whole block out, peel the foil off, and cut on a cutting board for cleaner squares.

Variations

• Use regular semisweet chocolate chips and add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract for stronger mint flavor.
• Swap the chopped nuts for crushed candy canes stirred in at the end for a Christmas version.
• Layer half the fudge, add a stripe of white chocolate, then top with the remaining fudge for a layered look.