S’mores Fudge

There are many ways to make fudge that start out with some sugar and a candy thermometer, and while I’ve had plenty of excellent fudge made this way, I’ve also ruined more than a few batches by not watching the temperature closely enough. The idea of a worry-free fudge, therefore, appeals to me. And, fortunately, it is very easy to make a delicious batch of fudge with virtually no effort at all.

This fudge recipe starts with semisweet chocolate and sweetened condensed milk – and those two ingredients make up the bulk of the recipe, with just a little butter and a little vanilla to round things out. All the fudge ingredients are combined in a a double boiler and melted together. You can actually do this in a large saucepan instead of a double boiler, but you will need to stir constantly to prevent the chocolate from scorching (the pan will get quite hot where the burners make contact) as everything melts together.

To make the fudge more interesting, I turned it into a big batch of s’mores by stirring in marshmallows and chopped graham crackers. They help break up the intensity of the chocolate a bit, so you get a nice mixture of rich chocolate, chewy marshmallow and crisp crackers. It’s a great variation on a s’more. Mini marshmallows are already the “right” size for this recipe, but it is very easy to cut large marshmallows (or homemade ‘mallows) into quarters with a pair of scissors and stir them in instead.

Store these in an airtight container to keep the graham cracker bits nice and crisp. The fudge will taste best within the first few days it is made. I try to keep the pieces medium-sized, but you cut cut them down to bite-size squares to serve a crowd.

S’mores Fudge
18-oz semisweet chocolate (or 3 cups chocolate chips), chopped
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup chopped graham crackers

Line a 9-inch square cake pan with lightly greased plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
In a double boiler, combine chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, butter and vanilla extract. Cook, stirring frequently, until very smooth. This can be done in a large saucepan, but you must stir constantly to prevent scorching.
Fold mini marshmallows (you can use quartered large marshmallows, as well) and graham cracker pieces into the chocolate mixture with a spatula. Pour into prepared pan and press into an even layer.
Allow fudge to set at room temperature for 4-6 hours.
Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 48 squares of fudge.