December 22 -- Special Holiday Fudge

 

Photo is from Sun-Maid raisins; I didn't get a photo of the fudge before wrapping it up.

 I made a batch of this on Monday in order to get some of it into the last package to Nevada (before Christmas, that is).

SPECIAL HOLIDAY FUDGE

1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick)
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. orange extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup raisins (I used golden raisins this time and detected no flavor difference.
1 cup chopped pecans

Line a 9-inch square pan with foil and butter the foil.*

In large heavy saucepan, combine first 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil 5 minutes, stirring with a wire whisk.  Remove from heat, stir in chips until melted. Stir in the extracts and then the nuts and raisins. Replace your whisk with a spoon and beat by hand until glossy, 30 to 60 seconds. If needed, you may add up to 2 Tblsp. water to make it glossy, but you probably won't need to. Turn into prepared pan. Cool completely; turn out on cutting board and remove foil,  then cut in squares.

This fudge is absolutely wonderful! It really tastes like Christmas!  I found the recipe many years ago in my favorite cooking newsletter, Cook & Tell , and have made it nearly every Christmas since then.

If you have a nostalgic fondness for Chunky® candy bars or chocolate-covered raisins, you are sure to enjoy this fudge.

 

* Original recipe calls for simply buttering the pan.  That's what I did when I made the fudge this week.  I let it set in the fridge overnight and it was so difficult to remove from the pan.   That's why I'm suggesting the buttered foil maneuver this time around.