It's September.  Do you miss the beach already?  Do you miss the beach fudge shops?  When my family was down at the Outer Banks this year, my brother-in-law came home one day with 6(!) packages of different types of fudge.  I'm telling you, the people who work at those shops could sell eggs to chickens.

But fear not!  Summber fudge might be gone, but holiday fudge eating will be here soon, making it a year-round treat.  And who doesn't love food gifts?  Make this and make friends.  Simple as that.

When I saw that I could prep this recipe in 15 minutes I was almost sold.  When I took it to a PanCAN picnic and there was none left 15 minutes after we arrived, that really sealed the deal.   This stuff is rich and delicious (thanks to the combo of unsweetened and semisweet chocolate), and is a great base for the hundreds millions of different treats that you can add in.  The recipe calls for walnuts, but I didn't want to risk people with nut allergies, and it still ended up perfect.  Definitely give it a try!

Classic Foolproof Fudge

One 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (chopped fine) 16 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped fine 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Mix the chocolate with baking soda and salt. Add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Melt the mixture in bowl over boiling water (or in double-boiler) until mostly melted.  Stir frequently so as not to burn it.  Take it off the heat and keep stirring until smooth. Pour into a greased baking pan and cool in the fridge for 2+ hours.

Source: Cook's Illustrated