Fudge

Colin makes fudge every year for Christmas.  Since he does it, I have never had to.  Something about all that stirring makes me glad that he does it!  He got this recipe from his mom, and I'm not sure where she got it, but it's one we have used for the last 10 years and we love it.

Fudge
3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips- Nestle's
1 cup butter or margarine (we use 1 stick of each)
1 pkg mini marshmallows
chopped walnuts (or whatever nut you like- optional)
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 TBS vanilla

Line a 9x13 inch pan with aluminum foil.  Butter the foil.

Combine chocolate chips, marshmallows and nuts in a large bowl, set aside.
Blend sugar, milk and butter together in a saucepan and and bring it to a rolling boil.  After it start to boil, set a timer for 6 minutes.  You need to stir this constantly and be patient.  After 6 minutes, remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour the entire mixture over the chip mixture in the large bowl.  Stir hard until mixed well.  Pour into prepared buttered pan and let it sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cutting to ripen.  Turn the pan out onto a clean surface and remove foil and cut into pieces.

Note:  I like walnuts in my fudge, but Colin does not.  He solves this problem by putting an aluminum foil divider in the pan.  He leaves the nuts out of the chocolate chip and marshmallow mixture and does all the other steps.  He then pours some of the fudge without nuts into the pan with the divider, and then put the nuts in the remaining fudge stirring well before putting it in the other half of the pan.