Fudge
3 cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 heaping tablespoons
Hershey's Cocoa
1 tablespoon Butter
1 1/2 cups Milk
1/2 cup pecans
(optional)
Notes:
Before you begin,
be sure to fill sink
half full of cold water.
Also, butter a pie plate
(or similar dish)
to the edge to
pour the fudge in
when it is done.
In a deep, heavy bottomed pan
(I use a pressure cooker pan),
mix together sugar,
cocoa and milk.
Cook on high heat,
stirring constantly to
remove any lumps from
cocoa and prevent burning,
until mixture comes to a boil.
Continue boiling,
stirring occasionally,
until mixture reaches
soft ball stage
(about 10-15 minutes)
and turn off heat
(if you have an electric stove,
move pan off burner as it will
overcook the fudge with the
remaining heat on the burner).
Add vanilla extract and butter.
Place pan in sink of cold water
to speed cooling;
do not let the water come over
the edge of the pan.
Beat with spoon until fudge
starts to thicken slightly
-it will still have
a glossy look to it.
After it has cooled,
remove pan from water
(be sure and put a kitchen
towel on your lap for
protection as the pan will
still be quite warm!)
and continue to beat until
the fudge loses its gloss
and begins to get stiff.
Add the pecans then.
Beat a couple more minutes.
Pour out onto buttered plate,
scrape the sides
and bottom to get as much
on the plate as you can,
let cool
(if you can wait at
least 10 minutes),
and it is ready to serve.
Notes:
Test for softball stage
by dropping a partial
spoonful into a cup
of cold water.
When the mixture forms
a `soft' ball,
it is ready
or you can use a
candy thermometer
(I never have mastered
those things).
If your fudge comes out runny
or a bit soft,
it was undercooked;
if it is hard and grainy,
it was overcooked.
This recipe is
*not* fail proof and
it takes a lot of
practice and patience to
get the hang of it -
good luck and
watch the waistline!
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