Mom's Blue Ribbon Fudge

As much as I love chocolate and sweet treats, there are few desserts that I remember from my childhood that I crave or look forward to every year. This fudge, however, is the one dessert that my brothers and I expect every year for Christmas. In the past few years, however, the honor has been passed along from my mother to me to prepare, and I've taken it on full-force. It's a somewhat tedious process, and it will definitely work your arm muscles, but it is so worth it. No other fudge quite lives up to it, in my opinion. It makes me proud when I bring this fudge to Christmas, and my family declares that it is just as good as when mom made it. My brothers are pretty particular about their desserts, so for them to approve is a big deal. The Mint Oreo Fudge I made a couple of weeks ago is also delicious and is a close second, but mom's fudge is by far my all-time favorite!

If you have the patience and the arm strength, and you want something more old-school than the marshmallow cream varieties of fudge, you should definitely give this recipe a try!!

Mom's Blue Ribbon Fudge

Source: A photo-copied page my mom faxed to me years ago...no clue what book it came from!

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 6 oz can evaporated milk
• 2 1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate
• dash salt
• 1 tsp corn syrup
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Butter the sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan.
2. Combine sugar, evaporated milk, chocolate squares, salt and corn syrup in pan. Stir over medium heat until chocolate melts, sugar dissolves, and temperature reaches 236 degrees (soft ball stage, if you don't have a candy thermometer).
3. Immediately remove from heat. Add butter, but do not stir.
4. Cool to lukewarm, 110 degrees. Add vanilla and stir vigorously until fudge stiffens and looses it gloss.
5. Push from pan into a buttered shallow pan.
6. Score while warm, cut when firm.