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The August 2005 Recipe of the Month Old Fashioned Fudge This recipe comes to us from Debbie Ruhland, who tells us: "The following was handed down to me by my mother in law, it was her mothers recipe. I am counted on near Christmas to make this for the family, as I'm the only one who can make it taste like hers." It is indeed terrific! (Note this is a cooked fudge, constant attention must be paid when heating the sugar mixture. It is a wonderful, real-life fudge! Many thanks to this month's winner.)
Ingredients 4 cups white sugar 2 cups milk (2% works best--Ed) 1 stick (4 ounces) butter (do not use margarine) 2/3 cup good-quality cocoa (suggest Hershey's brand--Ed.) 1 teaspoon vanilla Directions In a large metal pan add sugar, milk, butter and cocoa. Bring to an easy boil using medium heat (high heat will burn the mixture making it difficult to handle safely) Reduce heat slightly if mixture boils too much, but allow it to bubble. Stir occasionally to keep sugar crystals from forming on the side of pan. Test doneness (soft ball stage on a candy thermometer) or with a cup that is half full of cold water (tap water). If a small amount of the mixture dropped into the water holds together and becomes a "soft ball", it's done cooking. Do not overcook! Remove from heat, add vanilla, and stir until mixture hardens and becomes difficult to stir. You can speed the process by putting the pan in a sink or container that has a couple of inches of cold water in it. When the fudge becomes glossy, it is ready to pour into a buttered cake pan. (Use a Pyrex ® oblong glass baking cake pan--Ed) Slice the fudge while it is still warm.   Once cooled (if you can keep hungry family fingers away) it's ready. Enjoy!