Fudge

1 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2oz unsweetened baking chocolate
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2-1 cup chopped nuts

Use a heavy pan with a thick bottom for candy making. I use an old aluminum 2 qt pan that is very thick. Bring milk to a boil. The recipe says to add the grated chocolate. This is tedious to grate. Bring the milk to a boil slowly with the chocolate broken into pieces and stir it around to melt it. When the milk boils, stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Raise the heat and put a lid on it, let it steam for 2 min, but check and stir with a metal spoon to make sure it doesn't stick and burn. At this point the inside of the pot has drops from the steam dripping down the sides. lower heat a little and continue to boil uncovered to 238 degrees on a candy thermometer.
No candy thermometer - watch the surface of the bubbles - the smaller bubbles will sink deeper below the surface, becoming darker. This takes practice to be able to recognize so use the ice water test. This is done at intervals. The recipe says not to stir, but (especially if your pot isn't thick) it can stick and burn so I stir when I think the bubbles are right - TAKE THE POT OFF THE HEAT- and test the candy. Then return to the heat and cook more if it isn't done. For the test: take a spoonful and drop a drop into a glass of ice water. The first time or two the drop will flake apart into thin amoeba-like blobs. Then the drops will start to keep together better. At 'soft-ball' stage it will form a slightly flattened ball that keeps it's shape and is a little droopy.

Set the pot to cool for around 20-30 min. - to 110 degrees. Or not to hot to keep your finger on it. Meanwhile, butter a dish for the fudge. Use a 8x8 square dish for thick squares or a 9x13 for thin ones. Add the butter in chunks and beat it in. Add the vanilla. Beat with a spoon or a heavy beater (the small electric beaters can burn up if the candy solidifies too quickly) until the fudge is not shiny. Quickly add the nuts and pour/spread/pat the fudge into the buttered pan. Cut the fudge while hot. You will have to cut it again when it cools. If you cook the candy softer it is better refrigerated but it is creamier, a harder(longer cooked) travels better but may be grainier. If it is hard to get the fudge out of the glass pan, put the pan in a sink of hot water, being careful not to get water in the fudge.

Variations:
Double Chocolate - add 2 tbsp cocoa with the sugar.
Peppermint - add 1/2-3/4 tsp mint extract instead of vanilla
Mocha - use 1 cup double strength coffee instead of 1c milk
Pnut Butter - use 1/2c peanut butter and 1tbsp butter instead of 4tbsp butter, 1 oz chocolate and 2tbsp cocoa instead of 2 oz chocolate.

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