Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

I’ve made a lot of fudge this year and I’ve finally come up with a basic fudge recipe that I really like.  It is non-temperamental, doesn’t require that you heat it to a certain temperature, doesn’t get grainy, and is rich and dense and gooey.  You can use it as a base and add different things like nuts, liqueur, or candy.  Here’s the basic recipe and notes on how to turn it into the dark chocolate peppermint fudge (my picture shows just the regular fudge with the peppermint but I later tried using dark chocolate, which I think tastes better with the peppermint).

Veronica’s Basic Fudge

1 (12-oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Fill a medium saucepan about 2 inches deep with water.  Bring to simmer over medium heat.  Meanwhile, dump everything but the vanilla and nuts in a metal bowl and set it on top of the saucepan so that it’s suspended over the hot water.  Stir the contents intermittently while it heats, until everything is melted and thoroughly combined.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and nuts (if you are using).  Pour into a buttered 8×8″ pan and refrigerate at least overnight before cutting.  Makes about 2 lbs.  Lasts forever (I’ve kept some up to two months without it getting dry or going bad) tightly covered at room temperature.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge: substitute dark chocolate chips (I use Hershey’s Special Dark) and sprinkle Andes peppermint baking chips on top once the fudge is poured in the dish and smoothed.  You don’t have to wait for it to cool first.  You could also use crushed peppermints if you don’t mind crunchy fudge.