It is a chocolate night......

Home made fudge

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Butter platter and set aside

2. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in heavy 4-quart saucepan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil. Boil, without stirring, until mixture reaches 234°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. (Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of saucepan.)

3. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR. Cool at room temperature to 110°F (lukewarm). Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens and just begins to lose some of its gloss. Quickly spread into prepared pan; cool completely. Cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature. About 36 pieces or 1-3/4 pounds.

NOTE: For best results, do not double this recipe. This is one of our most requested recipes, but also one of our most difficult. The directions must be followed exactly. Beat too little and the fudge is too soft. Beat too long and it becomes hard and sugary.

I have such memories of cold winter nights and my mom in the kitchen making candy. She made it several times a winter. This recipe is straight off the Hershey's website. And they are right, you must follow the directions precisely or the candy will not make. It is awesome though, and much better tasting than the marshmallow fudge, at least to me. Another recipe for cold weather is hot chocolate.

Starbucks Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

2 2

Servings Size

• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I like whole or 2%)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• whipped cream
• chocolate shavings (optional)

Directions:

Prep Time: 5 mins Total Time: 5 mins

1. Measure water, cocoa, and sugar in glass measuring cup or large mug. Stir well.
2. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes to make chocolate syrup.
3. Stir in milk and vanilla and microwave until warm.
4. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
5. Variation: Snickers hot chocolate - stir in 2 tsp caramel syrup and 2 tsp hazelnut syrup to the hot chocolate before topping with whipped cream. Caramel and Hazelnut syrups can usually be found in the coffee section of the grocery store.

This recipe is straight from food.com. Val and I made a big thermos of this and took to the Christmas parade this past year. It was so cold outside, and we were standing outside watching the parade of course, and had our chocolate. It tastes just as good as the "real thing" from Starbucks and you can make several servings for the price on one!

I hope you enjoy these chocolate treats I have shared with you tonight.