Fudge is a rich confection, traditionally prepared with a mixture of chocolate, milk, sugar, and butter. Although the confection’s exact origins are disputed, fudge first appeared in the United States in the late 19th century, and is credited as being a serendipitous culinary creation, resulting from a poorly prepared batch of caramels. http://www.thenibble.com/REVIEWS/main/candy/old/history-of-fudge.asp As the original recipes for fudge required a great deal of attention and precision, recipes were developed for more inexperienced bakers, that included ingredients like marshmallow creme, designed to make the dessert’s preparation simpler.http://www.thenibble.com/REVIEWS/main/candy/old/history-of-fudge2.asp

Fudge is prepared by mixing the ingredients and allowing them to boil until the mix reaches the soft-ball stage, approximately 234 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. The mixture is cooled, then beaten until a smooth, matte, texture is achieved. Fudge is a versatile confection, and can be prepared with a number of additions made to the mix, including: candies, fruits, nuts, and crèmes. Alternatively, the cocoa in the recipe can be substituted with other sweet or semi-sweet chips, such as peanut butter or white chocolate. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-fudge-recipe/index.html

• 1 pound (16 ounces) of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or Chopped Semi-Sweet Chocolate
• 3 tbsp Butter, plus extra to grease your pan
• 14 ounce can of Condensed Milk
• 2 cups of Sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 cup Chopped Nuts (optional)
• 8 in by 8 in pan
• 3 quart Saucepan
• Wooden Spoon
• Candy Thermometer

1. Lightly grease your pan with butter.
2. Add the chocolate, sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons of vanilla, and condensed milk to the saucepan, and stir together over medium heat.
3. Continue stirring the mixture until the sugar is dissolved, and the ingredients are well blended.
4. Increase the heat slightly, and allow the mix to come to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to a medium-low temperature.
6. Cover the saucepan, and allow to the ingredients to boil for 3-5 minutes.
7. Remove the cover, and attach the candy thermometer to the pan.
8. Allow the mixture to continue boiling, until the candy thermometer reads a temperature of 235 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Remove the mixture from the heat.

1. Add the butter to the mixture by dropping the remaining butter to the chocolate mixture. Do not stir the butter into the mix.
2. Allow the fudge to cool to a temperature of 120 degrees.
3. Remove the thermometer from the pan.
4. Add the vanilla.
5. Beat the fudge until it is creamy, and loses its shine.
6. Pour the mixture into the greased pan .
7. Cool the fudge for a few hours, until firm. http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/recipedetail.aspx?recipe_id=57398&cm_mmc=srch-_-google-_-traffic-_-easy_fudge_recipeshttp://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-fudge-recipe/index.html

1. Cut the fudge into 1-inch squares
2. Store the fudge in an airtight container. Alternatively, each square can be wrapped in saran wrap and stored.
3. The prepared fudge can be stored for up to a week.http://www.joyofbaking.com/chocolatefudge.html

1. The cocoa in the recipe can be replaced with white chocolate, peanut butter chips, or butterscotch chips.
2. Nuts can be added to the recipe to suit a variety of tastes. Nuts that go well with chocolate fudge include: pecans, walnuts, almonds, and macadamia nuts.
3. Popular flavors of fudge that use chocolate fudge as a base include: Chocolate Mint Fudge, Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge, Cookies and Cream Fudge, and Rocky Road.