Recipe: Skaarup's Rocky Road Fudge

SKAARUP'S ROCKY ROAD FUDGE
(c) 1997 T. P. Skaarup, original recipe. May be copied unaltered. All rights reserved.

A favorite with the kids! Made the same as Skaarup's Fantasia Fudge but with three small difference:
(1) Omit the unsweetened chocolate,
(2) add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of miniature marshmallows, and (3) a different way of mixing of the Helpers just before casting.

1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cups sugar (extra-fine granules)
5 oz. evaporated milk (one small can)
12 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Hershey's or Nestle )
2 cup miniature marshmallows (about half a bag)
7 oz. marshmallow cream (1 jar kraft marshmallow creme)(may substitute 2 cups mini-marshmallows)
1 cup walnuts (chopped)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Line a 9" x 9" pan with aluminum foil and set aside. Place chocolate chips, vanilla, and marshmallow cream into a 3-quart saucepan and set aside. Chop walnuts and set aside. Heat milk at Medium setting until warm then add sugar. Bring to a rolling boil (Medium-High), stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Continue to boil for 7 full minutes -or- if using a candy thermometer continue boiling until the boiling temperature reaches 235 F but do not exceed 9 minutes rolling boiling total. Remove from heat and add butter. Stir until dissolved (but no more than 30 seconds)

Pour hot mixture over chocolate chips, vanilla, and marshmallow cream without scraping the sides of the hot saucepan. Mix until the chocolate is melted. Add walnuts and mix again. Immediately before casting add the mini-marshmallows, fold in 2-3 times (edges of marshmallows will start to melt), then cast into prepared pan. Not all of the mini-marshmallows will be covered with the fudge mix. Cool at room temperature. Chill in refrigerator prior to cutting. Remove from pan, remove foil, cut into squares.

Any Variation (see above) can be used to create Rocky Road Fudge. White Rocky Road?!? Experiment.

If you're concerned about your mini-marshmallows might melt too fast (they won't) then you can put the marshmallows covered in the refrigerator. Take out of the refrigerator immediately before mixing. You can also cover any exposed marshmallows with your wooden spoon following casting.

All the marshmallow creme and mini-marshmallows make this recipe very sensitive to too much sugar. Be sure to limit your sugar to a maximum of 2.5 cups.

Some prefer a smoother texture marshmallow instead of the mini-marshmallows. If you want a marbled, creamy variation, make as usual but instead of 2 cups of mini-marshmallows, mix in 7 oz. of marshmallow cream immediately before casting. Fold over 3-5 times then cast. Will need to be cut when cool then refrigerated so that the marshmallow cream won't run (runs at room temperature).