Even before I hurt my neck and back, I hated making fugde. Who wants to stand over the stove trying to stir constantly chocolate and marshmallow cream? NOT ME! And now that I can only stand for limited amounts of time (maximum 10 minutes) without pain, there is no way I could make fudge the old fashioned way. So I choose to make mine in the microwave. Over the last few years, I have experimented. Not a lot. Because I'm too scared I'll screw it up. So while I think I could develop some really great flavors, I'm still not confident enough yet. One of my favorite things about this fudge is how smooth and creamy it is. It is softer than non-microwaved fudge so it is better when kept cold, but it's a trade off I am more than willing to take.
I've posted this recipe before, but after my original Blogger account was frozen this past summer, I moved everything and so many of you haven't had the pleasure of learning how to make this "secret" super easy fudge! So I am blessing you tonight. :-) Isn't that nice of me?
Here's what you need for just the base:
8x8 square pan or a 9x6.5 rectangle fudge pan (I pick up the cheap aluminum ones at the grocery store); you can grease the pan with butter or cooking spray. Had I remembered to do this, I probably would have. ;-)
12 oz. semi sweet OR milk chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Put both in a microwave container and cook on high for approximately 3 minutes. I use a Pampered Chef Micro Cooker w/the lid. After the first batch or two, I have to decrease the time to 2 minutes and 45 seconds or it will boil over. You'll have to test your own microwaves to get the time down. You're just looking for the chips to be melted with the milk so it is smooth.
Once you have the base completed, you can really do whatever you want. I haven't gotten too fancy yet, as I said before. I keep it pretty simple. Here are the flavors/combinations I made tonight:
Rum - I used 2 Tbsp. of Rum flavoring. Next time, I plan to use a little bit of actual rum. Had I thought of this BEFOREHAND, I would have tested it out tonight. It could be the next best thing to Rum Balls!
Heath - this one is a personal favorite of mine. I love Heath candy bars so why not mix chocolate and Heath? In the baking aisle out here, you can get a package of Heath bits. I used 1/2 cup of this and just mixed it in with the melted chocolate and milk. After I spread it into the pan, I sprinkled a little bit more of the Heath bits on the top.
Strawberry - this one was pretty simple. 2 Tbsp of strawberry extract/flavoring. Had I had them, I would have loved to have cut up strawberries and placed them on top for the look, but overall, I don't know that they would hold up well over the course of a few days...should the fudge last that long. It tastes delicious though!
Almond Joy - this is one of my all-time favorites. I think I do it different every year but I think the best way to do it is to add 2 Tbsp coconut flavoring and some chopped almonds. After it was in the pan tonight, I sprinkled some unsweetened coconut on top too. I added 1 Tbsp of almond extract as well, but I think next time I will leave that out. I just really love almond extract!
Candy Cane - this one is pretty obvious, but I'll tell you anyway! I used 2 Tbsp PEPPERMINT extract. Once it was in the pan, I crushed a candy cane and sprinkled it on top. SO GOOD!
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do! Oh, and I used semi-sweet for all of mine. You can't beat a 72 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips at Sam's.
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