Peppermint Bark Fudge

I snapped up this recipe from the blog Coconut and Lime. This is a foodie blog that I've just discovered, but the recipes are not only accessible and easy to make, but also incredibly tasty!

Since the fam was coming over for a family game night/ pre-Christmas gift exchange, I whipped up this fudge earlier in the morning. This is the recipe as C&L wrote it on her page.
Ingredients:

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

12 oz high quality semisweet chocolate chips*

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup peppermint pieces (about 4 candy canes)**

Directions:In shallow, heavy pot, heat the butter and chips over low heat until melted. Stir to occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the condensed milk and candy canes until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Pour into a buttered 8x8 inch baking dish and allow to cool 15 minutes. Then refrigerate the fudge for 2 hours or up to overnight. Unmold (if it sticks, run the point of a knife along all four sides and slide a thin spatula underneath to remove) and cut into 1 inch squares. Store at room temperature in an air tight container.Yield: roughly 40 squares

*C&L recommends the use of a high quality chocolate here. For me, this didn't really make a big difference. Besides, I'm a big fan of Toll House semi-sweet chips anyway.

**C&L also recommends breaking the candy canes while they're still in the plastic. I did not go this route. I was quite anxious to get some use out of th mortar and pestle that we got recently, so I promptly tossed the canes in there and ground them until they were mere flakes of peppermint. When I tasted this fudge, I think I am much happier with the outcome than I would have been with bigger chunks of cane.

This recipe was quick and easy, and everything worked out great! The only suggestion that I have is that once it's in the pan and has been in the fridge for a couple of hours, to toss it in the freezer for 30 minutes or so. This seemed to help the fudge harden very quickly since I was pressed for time in getting the fudge to actually set up. Also, because it gets so melty once it's at room temperature, I recommend storing this fudge in the refrigerator until just before you eat it. Don't worry, it won't be too hard. It softens VERY quickly once it comes to room temp.

So try this fudge. It's fantastic! Thanks to Coconut and Lime for sharing!

PS: I'm at home in Michigan, and I managed to get my hands on several photo albums of old family photos (mostly of me, naturally!). Over the next few months, I will be posting some of the most memorable in the collection. ;)