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5 min fudge chocolate marshmallow
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5 Minute Microwave Fudge

I highly recommend making this fudge. I have adapted my recipe from the ones posted by Eagle Brand and The Food Network. This is hands down the easiest and best no-fuss fudge recipe ever! It's smooth and creamy and incredibly delicious. It's prepared in one bowl for easy clean-up. It's also very versatile, allowing for many creative options. I posted some creative ideas at the end of this recipe.
I'm showing a high number of servings, because I normally use a loaf pan for the fudge to chill in. I cut the loaf of fudge into 4 pieces wide and 8 pieces long-equaling 32 pieces. The perfect serving size for cookie trays and holiday entertaining.
Course Christmas Candy, Dessert, Snack, Treat
Cuisine American
Keyword 5 minute fudge, Christmas candy, delicious, easy, frugal and delicious, fudge, Holiday Foods, microwave recipe, quick recipe, versatile
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 32
Author Frugal and Delicious

Ingredients

  • 12 Oz Semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 Can Sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
  • 1 1/2 Cups Chopped nuts
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 Dash Salt
  • 1+ TBsp Butter for greasing the parchment paper and to add to the fudge mixture

Instructions

  • In a glass bowl, place the sweetened condensed milk and the chocolate chips
    5 min fudge condensed milk and chocolate chips
  • Cook in the microwave for 3 minutes. Note: depending on your microwave strength, you may not need all 3 minutes to fully melt and combine the chips with the condensed milk. Don't over cook it or you will scorch the chocolate chips-making them hard and bitter tasting.
    5 min fudge putting in the microwave
  • Remove from the microwave every minute, to stir and combine the mixture.
    5 min fudge stirring
  • When the time is up and the chips have melted and combined, remove the bowl from the microwave and stir vigorously. This will also cool the mixture slightly.
    5 min fudge stirring vigorously
  • Add the salt, vanilla and butter. Stir until combined.
    5 min fudge adding vanilla and butter
  • Add the nuts or other creative ingredients-like marshmallows. If the mixture is too hot, the marshmallows will melt.
    5 min fudge stirring in the marshmallows
  • Butter a piece of parchment paper to line the pan.
    5 min fudge buttering the parchment paper
  • Spread fudge mixture into a pan lined with the buttered parchment paper. Use an 8 or 9 inch square pan. Though, I normally use a loaf pan.
    Hint: I add a few extra marshmallows or other ingredients to the top of the pan and mix them in, because the mixture in bottom of the bowl is sometimes lacking in the proper amount of nuts, sprinkles or marshmallows.
    5 min fudge adding more marshmallows at the end of the bowl mixture
  • Refrigerate fudge until set.
  • Remove fudge from the pan by using the parchment paper to lift it out.
    5 min fudge in loaf pan
  • Place on a cutting board and cut into squares-using a long knife slightly greased with butter or non-stick spray (to keep the fudge from sticking to the knife). You can also use a pizza cutter or a heavy duty plastic knife.
    5 min fudge cutting the fudge
  • Use gloves to place the pieces of fudge. This is for sanitary reasons and also so you don't get your fingerprints on the shiny layer of fudge.
    5 min fudge pieces

Notes

This recipe is very versatile. I have made numerous variations with perfect results every time.
You can substitute white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips for the chocolate chips. 
You can add a couple teaspoons of liquor in place of the vanilla-my adult family members loved it when I added Jack Daniels Whiskey! Oh yes I did!!
You can add 1/2 cup of rainbow sprinkles instead of nuts with the white chocolate chips to make it like a confetti birthday cake fudge.
You can add toasted pecans and coconut for a German Chocolate fudge. Or almonds with the coconut for an almond joy fudge. As long as the nuts and coconut combined don't exceed the 1 1/2 cup amount. 
You can add mini marshmallows with part of the nuts for a rocky road fudge. Or just the mini marshmallows for a delicious and squishy chocolate marshmallow fudge that I affectingly refer to as hot chocolate fudge.
You can make a batch of the chocolate fudge and a batch of peanut butter fudge (using peanut butter chips) and layer the peanut butter fudge onto the chocolate fudge for a double decker fabulous chocolate peanut butter fudge. You can add chopped peanuts to the peanut butter fudge if you would like.
If you don't have a microwave, you can melt the chocolate chips with the sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan on the stove top. Keep the heat to a medium low and be sure to stir it often. When it is melted and combined, add your other ingredients and follow the recipe above. 
Side note: As an old wives' tale...do not try to make fudge or thermometer style candy on a rainy or snowy day. The excessive moisture in the air CAN play havoc with the outcome of the recipe. I have had it happen to me on a few occasions.