classic chocolate fudge

below is my favorite recipe for classic chocolate fudge - a necessary staple on my holiday cookie plate! i'm not sure if it's the combination of the different types of chocolate, or the marshmallow fluff, but this fudge always turns out perfectly rich and smooth, never grainy or bitter.  this year we topped ours off with some candy cane and snowflake sprinkles for added texture and visual appeal, but it's just as fantastic plain.

| ingredients |

1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips
1 (12 ounce) package dark chocolate chips
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 jar (7-8 ounces) marshmallow fluff
4 1/4 cups sugar
1 (12 ounces) can evaporated milk
optional mix ins: nuts, cranberries, etc. and sprinkles or crushed peppermint to garnish.

| method |

line a 9 x 13" baking dish with foil or parchment paper, set aside.

in a large microwave safe mixing bowl, melt the butter then add in milk, dark and semi chocolate chips and marshmallow whip. set aside.

in a large saucepan, combine sugar and evaporated milk. bring to a rolling boil over medium heat and stir constantly for 4 minutes.

slowly pour the boiled sugar and milk over the chocolate in mixing bowl in 4 batches, stirring constantly until smooth. at this point if you'd like to add in cranberries, nuts, or any other mix ins, gently fold them into your fudge batter. it will begin to harden pretty quickly.

pour the fudge into your prepared baking dish, cover tightly and refrigerate until hardened (several hours, best when chilled overnight). keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

chocolate peppermint snowflake bark

these chocolate peppermint snowflakes have become an annual tradition thanks to this mold from amazon. this is our favorite way to give and enjoy peppermint bark, and it could not be any easier to make.

(we'll get back to real food in a little bit - christmas treat season is in full swing!)

| ingredients |

candiquick in chocolate and vanilla flavors
pure peppermint extract
crushed peppermint, candy canes or sprinkles to decorate

| method |

in a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate candi-quick until smooth and liquidy. add 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract per every 4 blocks of candi-quick and stir to distribute. 

gently ladle the peppermint chocolate into your molds, being careful not to get any on the side of the mold (wipe off any excess for neater edges!) and then place in the fridge to harden for approximately 30 minutes.

repeat with the white chocolate, and top with your crushed peppermint or sprinkles before refrigerating. after the white chocolate is also hardened, remove the snowflakes from your mold and serve!

they make an adorable addition to this year's plate of christmas goodies we served on friday. (fudge recipe to follow soon!)

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