Christmas Fudge

When the Carnation Evaporated Milk Company was established at the turn of the century, home refrigeration and fresh milk were not readily available.  This “milk from contented cows” became a staple in my great-grandmother’s house, and by the time my mother was born in 1923, the annual Carnation Christmas fudge making was a tradition. The ingredients are simple, there is no grainy or sugary taste, and it’s fast to make – just remember NO SUBSTITUTIONS if you want it to turn out right.

Before you get started, make sure you have all the ingredients and pans available. Stir with a wooden spoon only.

* 2/3 cup Carnation Evaporated Milk (when doubling, I use one can and add a few extra marshmallows)

* 1-2/3 cups white cane sugar (you can use organic sugar now but it changes the taste just slightly)

* ½ teaspoon salt (I switched to sea salt years ago and it works great)

* Fresh whole marshmallows cut into quarters to fill 1-1/4 cups (OK to use miniature ones, but absolutely no marshmallow crème)

* 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate cut into very small pieces (Nestle’s chips do very nicely for this part – don’t use milk chocolate)

* 1 generous teaspoon of real vanilla (you’ll be sorry if you use anything else)

* A very large pan to heat the ingredients on the stove

* A buttered pan (13 X 9 for a regular batch; a cookie sheet for anything larger)

The original “receipt” as it was called was for 2 pounds of fudge: 

Mix milk, sugar and salt in large pan on medium heat, stirring occasionally until it comes to a full rolling boil.  Boil for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Turn off the burner and add one by one the marshmallows, vanilla, and chocolate chips, stirring each until thoroughly melted before adding the next.  Add nuts if you want then pour into pan.  It sets up fast. - Johanna

If you have a recipe you want to share with Miller’s clientele, email it with some background on how you came to have the recipe along with full directions to jstrother@millersllc.com.  If from a book, remember to give the name of the author, the book title, publisher, and page number.