Mom’s Fudge early recipe

3 cups sugar

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons butter

2 squares bitter chocolate

½ teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cups nuts

Mix first 4 ingredients and cook to soft ball stage (238°).  Pour out to cool.  When cool to the touch, work with wooden spoon & spatula.  When creamy add vanilla and nuts.  When fudge starts to lose its gloss, turn into greased pan for hardening.

Post note by Aunt Enid:

From what used to hear from mother’s brothers and sisters, making fudge has been a very long-time endeavor with her.  She used to make it as a child when her parents were out and hide it under her bed.  Likely in those days, she was not using the marble slab.  I have found that a Formica table top will work also for pouring out the fudge, but not so well as marble.  I have always been amazed that such creamy fudge can come from a recipe which uses so little butter, but it is so.  I recall Mom telling me that the cooler the fudge is when you start stirring it, the creamier it will be –but the longer it takes to “turn.”  The cooking temperature is of extreme importance.  If it is under cooked, it will not harden and will have to be eaten with a spoon.  If overcooked, it will become hard.