Two-Minute Velvet Fudge Recipe for the Holidays

According to food historians, fudge was invented sometime during the late 1800s.  Most stories claim that the first batch of fudge resulted from a bungled (“fudged”) batch of caramels, hence the name from the interjection, “Oh, fudge!”

Vassar College students are generally thought to have begun making fudge in 1887 or 1888.  Early forms of fudge were harder to make properly because they could be easily overcooked or undercooked.  They required constant stirring and their mixtures of sugar, butter, and milk or cream had to be heated to the soft ball stage, about 224 to 240 degrees F.  This is the temperature at which a ball of sugar will form a soft ball when dropped into cold water.  Otherwise, if it wasn't mixed smoothly enough or at the right temperature, the fudge would crystallize.  

On the other hand, the recipe my family and I use is much simpler –- it can be made in the microwave or on the stove, and doesn’t require any candy thermometers.

Two-Minute Velvet Fudge

3 cups (18 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips 

1 can sweet condensed milk (14 oz.) 

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup walnut pieces, chopped

Grease an 8" x 8" pan. Microwave the chips and condensed milk, uncovered, in a two-quart bowl, on high, for two minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in sugar and vanilla, then add nuts until well-blended. Pour into a prepared pan, and spread evenly. Chill until firm, for about an hour and a half. Cut into sixteen two-inch squares. Store tightly covered in a cool place for up to two weeks.

Rangetop: Cook chocolate chips and the milk in a two-quart saucepan over medium heat about eight minutes until chocolate melts, stirring often. Remove from heat and proceed as directed.

Preparation time should be about 20 minutes or less, depending on whether you crack the walnuts yourself or buy them already shelled and chop them by hand or with a food processor or grinder.  The directions state to stir until smooth; even after being microwaved for two min., the chocolate chips will remain semi-solid, so they need to be stirred a little.

This recipe was tested with a 650-watt microwave, so if you are using a more powerful one, you might need to adjust the heating time slightly.

Enjoy!