Jim's Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

By popular demand:

Jim’s Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

Making the Fudge

Put 4-5 candy canes into a plastic bag.  Bang with a hammer till in small pieces.  Set aside.
In non-stick saucepan, mix the following over low/med heat:

• 1 lb bag confectioner’s sugar
• ½ cup powdered cocoa – Hershey’s Special Dark is wonderful.  If you can’t get Hershey’s try to use dark chocolate, dutch process cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons butter (3./4 of a stick — margarine also works)
• 4 Tbl milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt

Heat over low/medium heat, stirring constantly until JUST starts to boil.  Mixture will be dark and silky.
Remove from heat.  Fold crushed candy canes into mixture, and immediately pour into a buttered 9×9 inch pan.  Let cool, then refrigerate a couple hours.  Once set, can remove from fridge.

Storing the Fudge

Remove and cut into 1 X 1” squares. It’s very rich.  Keep in sealed container.  Hide it from strangers. Maybe even hide it from yourself, as you’ll find yourself eating a piece every time you walk thru the kitchen…..

Eating the Fudge

Oh, sure, you can just pop a square of fudge in your mouth, chew and swallow.  But where’s the joy in that?!  Here are my favorite ways to enjoy it:

1. Take a single square of the fudge, and bite it in half.  Let the fudge lay on your tongue.  As it melts, press it up against the roof of your mouth and let your tongue bathe in the sugary-grainy smooth chocolatey-ness of it.  Close your eyes and breathe in the wonderful, chocolately sensuality of the fudge.  Be one with the fudge. Ommmmm.
2. Sit down with a steaming cup of hot coffee, freshly brewed (I make mine strong, with a french press).  Sip of coffee, pop fudge into warm mouth.  As the fudge melts, sip gently on the coffee and let the coffee/chocolate combo swirl smoothly down your throat.  Do not try to speak — it will ruin the moment.
3. Try it with a short mug of Trader Joe’s Dark Sipping Chocolate.  Follow same process as with coffee, but be warned — this option is not for the weak! You must have a strong tolerance for dark chocolate-ness.
   WARNING: Have a glass of ice water nearby, in case someone needs to toss on you to bring you out of your ecstasy.

Enjoy the guilty pleasure!