Five Minute Fudge - Week 4 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies!

You are not going to believe this...a five minute fudge recipe!  Yes, it's true...it does exist.    I've had this recipe for so long that I don't even know where it came from.  The poor paper has all kinds of stains on it from my whirlwind holiday baking sessions.  This is a standard in our house around Christmas time.  I also love to make it for parties and whenever I need a chocolate fix, you know what I'm talking about.  I have to admit that I don't own a candy thermometer, they scare me.  Anything that requires a specific temperature or requires me to determine if we've reached soft ball consistency is not for me.  I'm a simple gal and that's why a love this recipe.  You don't need any fancy gadgets, just a saucepan and a spoon.  This candy doesn't care what temperature it is, it just wants to be made and eaten!  Have I mentioned that it's oh so simple?  Here's what you will need:

That's it, three ingredients!  A 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, a 12 ounce bag of milk chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon of vanilla!  You can add up to 1 cup of nuts if you like - I prefer mine plain and simple though.  Can it be any easier?  Start by combining all of the ingredients in a small saucepan like so:

Cook over medium low, stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes or until your fudge starts to look like this:

Pour your mixture into an 8x8 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray:

Resist the urge to stick a spoon in and eat it right away.  I won't tell if you taste a little bit.  A little bit spilled on the board and I had to eat it!  It will level it self out and it should now look like this:

Find a spot in your overcrowded fridge (what, you don't have to make room in your fridge for new items...I do!):

and patiently wait for at least 2 hours!  After that, cut it into small squares or feel free to get fancy with cutesy cookie cutters.  I couldn't resist!

If there's any left after you share, store it in an airtight container in the fridge.  Although, I doubt it will last long enough for that.  It's so smooth and creamy with a perfect chocolate taste.  No one will be able to eat just one!
Thanks for stopping by!  Don't forget to check out what everyone else is baking this week as part of the 12 weeks of Christmas Cookies!  I have quite a few from the previous weeks that are on my "to try" list.  Can't wait to see this weeks recipes!

Week 4 Twelve Weeks of Christmas: