5-ingredient Fudge

Hi everyone!  Happy Monday!  As promised, I'm sharing with you a delicious fudge that is so simple and delicious, perfect for Christmastime 😋🌲!

There are probably about a billion ways to make fudge and just classic chocolate fudge at that.  After all those recipes, there's a slew of other fudge recipes that may just be subtle riffs on typical fudge, or they might even not involve chocolate chips at all!  However, there are a couple of important things that make this fudge special:  it's only five ingredients and is made in the microwave.  Because of the very few ingredients that are in this fudge recipe, I think it's appropriate to quickly relay what role each ingredient plays in this home-crafted fudge.  Let's get started!

1.  Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Chocolate is obviously not a surprise ingredient in fudge.  However, semisweet chocolate is key here; it imparts a sweet, but not cloying chocolate flavor to this fudge.

2.  Sweetened Condensed Milk

This cloying elixir is the next best thing to caramel sauce.  It's so good that I was a little piggy and attempted to fish out the last syrupy morsel of the sauce.  That was a bad idea because I cut my finger on the sharp part of the can 😬.  It wasn't the biggest deal, but it took a bit longer to clot because I'm on an extra blood thinner.  While I'm on the topic of health stuff, I should let you know that my three-month cardiology follow up appointment is Wednesday so Friday's post will be dedicated to recapping that.

Sorry for getting off topic, but it's all related, right?  The sweetened condensed milk adds creaminess and volume to the fudge, so it's definitely a crucial ingredient in it!

3.  Peanuts

Peanuts add a savory crunch to this creamy fudge.  This is always welcome in my book because it cuts the sweetness to the fudge and also adds some textural contrast. It should be noted that if you have a nut allergy, you can leave these peanuts out and the fudge will still be delicious 😊.

4.  Mini Marshmallows

Marshmallows add sweetness and a lovely spongy quality to this fudge.  Make sure you use mini marshmallows; they are the perfect size for squares of fudge.

5.  Pure Vanilla Extract

Last but by no means least, vanilla extract is an important ingredient in this 5-ingredient fudge.  It does not make this fudge taste like vanilla ice cream or anything like that, but it lifts all the sweet flavors in this fudge and ties them all together.

I hope you enjoy this fudge as much as I do.  This recipe was slightly tweaked to bring you today's recipe.

That's all for now.  Don't forget to follow me on Instagram.  I look forward to posting again on Friday 😊!

5-ingredient Fudge

• 1 (12-oz. package) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 cup unsalted peanut halves

1.  Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil and lightly grease.

2.  In a large, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk on high power for one minute.

3.  Stir the mixture and microwave in 10-15 second intervals more if needed, stirring just until the chocolate chips are melted.

4.  Into the chocolate chip mixture, stir in the vanilla extract, then fold in the marshmallows and nuts.

5.  Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan and refrigerate until ready to serve.

6.  Lift the fudge from the pan, remove the foil, then cut the fudge into pieces.

7.  Enjoy, storing leftovers in the freezer for at least one week.  The fudge is really good right out of the freezer!