SPOILERS!!
From the moment that we met Brenda Leigh's mother Willie Ray she lets the audience know that she is an avid maker of that most southern of candy treats: fudge. Now, while most fudge recipes are a bit complicated and require a candy thermometer, the most common kind of fudge here in The South is "Fantasy Fudge," called by some people "marshmallow creme fudge." This is by far the most popular kind of fudge found in the southern repertoire of foods; and in most homes is made only around the Christmas season. My own mother makes this for Christmas yearly. Willie Ray, on the other hand, seems to make it at the drop of a hat, at any time of the year. Perhaps we begin to understand where Brenda gets her love of chocolate from; it's just that Brenda is FAR too involved with her job to scare up anything but ding-dongs! God forbid she has to actually make something chocolate. Willie Ray shockingly dies close to the end of the series--so I consider this an RIP tribute to a beloved television character!
Good Old Fashioned Fantasy Fudge
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine of choice (that's 1 1/s sticks)
1 5oz. can evaporated milk
1 1/2 package semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (that's 12 squares)
1 7oz. jar marshmallow creme (the jet puffed stuff)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla
Line a 9 inch pan with aluminum foil.
Meanwhile, bring sugar butter (or margarine) and evaporated milk to a rolling boil in a saucepan, over medium heat only (high heat will scorch it), stirring constantly. Boil for 4 minutes, continuing to stir (if you are inclined to use a candy thermometer, it should read 234 F). Remove from heat.
Add the chopped chocolate and the marshmallow creme and stir until melted, stir in the nuts and the vanilla.
Pour this into pan and cool, cut into squares, store in candy tin. Enjoy in Willie Ray's memory.
Variations:
Admittedly, this is the only variation on this that I have had, and I love it. Substitute the walnuts with pecans!
Leave the nuts out altogether.
Make this with white chocolate.
Divide the basic mixture up, stir regular chocolate into one and white chocolate into another. Either layer them or swirl them together.
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