Step 1

Prepare your ingredients: For fudge-making, it's important to have everything completely measured out and ready to go before you turn your burner on. Fudge moves fast, so you need to be totally prepared!

Step 2

Line an 8x8 or 9x9 inch square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 3

Open your 12-ounce bag of HIGH QUALITY semi sweet chocolate chips. Remove the lid and all traces of the foil seal from the tub of marshmallow creme (we are microwaving it later).

Step 4

Make the fudge: In a 3-quart HEAVY saucepan over medium heat, add 3/4 cup butter. (This is 1 and 1/2 sticks). Use a spoon to drag the melting butter up the sides of the pot, clear to the top, greasing the edges of the pan.

Step 5

Once the butter is mostly melted, slowly pour 2 and 1/2 cups sugar into the center of the pan as carefully as you can, making sure to not get any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. With your wooden spoon, draw the butter in from the edges toward the center, going slowly all the way around the pan until it’s mostly moistened. Do not leave any sugar crystals on the side of the pan or on the edge of your spoon; it will make your fudge grainy. The goal is to dissolve all of the sugar.

Step 6

Pour in 2/3 cup evaporated milk. Stir this mixture together thoroughly, making sure to douse any rogue bits of dry sugar with the liquid in the pan. All the dry sugar crystals need to be dissolved before the mixture reaches a boil.

Step 7

Settle in for the boil: Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over medium high heat. (Rolling boil means bubbles are coming up from the center of the pot.) Stir constantly with a long wooden spoon. Once it starts boiling, set a timer for 5 minutes and turn the heat down to medium so that you don't burn your fingers off. It should be boiling the full 5 minutes. Stir constantly. A candy thermometer should read about 234-236 degrees F at the end. Take it off heat early if it reaches 234-236 before 5 minutes. Overcooking at this stage makes for dry, crumbly fudge.

Step 8

Add the chocolate chips. When the timer goes off, remove from heat and add 12 ounces chocolate chips all at once. Stir vigorously until all the chocolate chips are melted and mixture is completely smooth. (if there are lumps in this mixture, there will be lumps in your fudge. Get them all out).

Step 9

Marshmallow creme. Heat your 7-oz tub of marshmallow creme in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds (to make it fast and easy to scoop out of the jar.) Move quickly. Add all the marshmallow creme to the chocolate mixture and beat with a wooden spoon until nearly blended.

Step 10

Vanilla. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and continue stirring until there are no more marshmallow streaks and the mixture looks even and smooth. Stop stirring as soon as it's combined.

Step 11

Pour into final pan. Immediately pour into the prepared pan. Don't scrape the edges of the pot too well. Only pour fudge into the pan that is completely liquid and smooth. If the fudge-bits on the edges of the pot look dried out at all, leave them behind. Shake the prepared pan to help the fudge settle. Do not touch the top of the fudge or try to smooth it with a spatula. It should have a rippled appearance.

Step 12

Let cool to room temperature. (Good luck with that.)

Step 13

Slice and serve! I like to slice a square pan of fudge into 7x7 rows, making about 49 small pieces. Fudge is so rich!

Step 14

Store on the counter covered with plastic wrap. Do not refrigerate. Unfortunately this means you will probably eat "just a sliver" of fudge every time you pass through your kitchen. Oh darn! This is one of the greatest joys of the season if you ask me!