Growing up, my family never put cookies out for Santa. It was always a plate laden with chocolate fudge (and carrots for the reindeer, of course). This is the fudge my mom still makes every year, always signaling that the holiday season has begun. I would gift to teachers growing up and give my closest friends as an adult. Suffice to say, it has a special place in my heart. 

The recipe she uses incorporates marshmallow fluff, so there’s a chance it came from the back of a box sometime in the early ’90s or from a friend of a friend, but it has slowly been tinkered to perfection. For accuracy's sake, a sugar thermometer is suggested, but you don't have to run out and buy one if you don't already own one. It's pretty fool-proof, and extremely delicious. So, from my family to yours, here's a holiday tradition that always manages to make the yuletide season special.

Recipe: Easy Chocolate Fudge

Ingredients

3 cups granulated sugar

¾ cup butter (use salted or unsalted, either work!)

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 454 g chocolate in bar form)

1 7 oz. jar of marshmallow fluff

2 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)

Sprinkles (optional)

Method

Line a 9×9 pan with parchment, making sure the paper extends over the sides. This will help you lift the fudge out of the pan for easy cutting.

Prep your ingredients by either chopping your chocolate or pre-measuring. Fill a glass with very hot water and place a large spoon inside. Open the top of the marshmallow fluff. You are going to be transferring these ingredients to a pot with a temperamental mix inside. You will want to be as fast as possible and this will help you achieve that.

Bring sugar, butter and heavy whipping cream to a boil over medium heat. Stirring constantly, allow for this mixture to boil for five minutes or until it reaches 113C (235F).

Remove from the heat and immediately add your chocolate and (using the spoon soaked in hot water to scoop it out) marshmallow fluff. Mix until fully melted and incorporated. You can do this off the heat but if it cools too much, put the pot back over low heat. Add your vanilla and salt and mix well.

Pour into your prepared pan and (if using) quickly decorate the top with sprinkles before it begins to set.

Allow to cool completely before using the parchment handles to pull the fudge out of the pan and cut.  

Additional Notes

You can definitely use packaged chocolate chips here. However do not use €œbaking chips€ as they contain hydrogenated oils which will keep the chocolate from melting fully. I suggest either a high-quality chocolate chip (think Ghiradelli) or a semi-sweet chocolate used specifically for baking like Baker's or for confections like Callebaut.  

You can use aluminum to line your pan, but I find the flavour can transfer over.

The spoon in hot water helps you scoop out the marshmallow fluff with ease. You don't have to use it, but I find it definitely keeps things speedy and tidy.

Add-ins like nuts, cookies, toffee bits etc are welcome here! As a rule of thumb, about 1 cup total of mix-ins is all this recipe allows for.

Feel free to add different flavours as well – peppermint would of course work well here, and for those who enjoy a Terry's Chocolate Orange, edible orange oil would work as well. Add these at the same stage you add the vanilla.