Butterscotch Fudge

Growing up, I was sure that fudge must be really hard to make - why else would it only have been sold at small town festivals and in Wisconsin? At least that's the only place I ever had any! Needless to say, it was a delightful surprise to find out that fudge is incredibly simple! It's not nearly as intricate as a brittle or a candy, (there are no thermometers necessary), but does require a significant commitment to stirring.

This weekend, butterscotch fudge with a dark chocolate spiderweb garnish seemed like the perfect dish for a Halloween potluck! Here's the fudge recipe:

1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons butter, divided

1-2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 package (10 to 11 ounces) butterscotch chips

• Line an 8-in. square pan with foil and grease the foil with 1 teaspoon butter; set aside.
• In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, salt and remaining butter; cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from the heat; add the marshmallows and chips. Stir until marshmallows and chips are melted. Spoon into prepared pan. Let stand in the refrigerator until set.
• Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Discard foil; cut into desired size and shape. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Yield: about 1-1/2 pounds.

 
For the spiderweb, I melted some dark chocolate chips in the microwave (remember to stir often and use no more than 50% power on the microwave - burnt chocolate is not tasty!) and then used a Ziploc to pipe the spiderweb onto the fudge.