Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge

Originally in the 1991 cookbook

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (1/3 cup cocoa)
2 tbsp corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Directions

1. Butter loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.
2. Combine sugar, milk, chocolate, corn syrup and salt in 2-quart saucepan.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and sugar is dissolved.
4. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, to 234 degrees F on candy thermometer (or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water).
5. Remove from heat; add margarine.
6. Cool mixture to 120 degrees F. Without stirring (bottom of pan will be luke-warm.)
7. Add vanilla; beat vigorously and continuously 5-10 minutes with wooden spoon, until candy is thick and no longer glossy. (Mixture will hold its shape when dropped from spoon.)
8. Quickly stir in nuts. Spread mixture evenly in buttered pan. Cool until firm.
9. Cut into 1-inch squares.

Brown Sugar Fudge
Substitute 1 cup brown sugar (packed) for 1 cup of the granulated sugar and omit chocolate.