This fudge is one of the first things my mother taught me to make as a child. (I am 57 now.) She never measured her ingredients and would whip up small batches sometimes as a dessert for our family of four. It's quick and easy and the ingredients are pretty much basic staples you already have on hand. One thing I learned early on is to not try to make this on a rainy or damp, humid day. It will not set up and harden.

My Gram and Mama made this fudge with 1/2-1 Cup of peanut butter. Both of them always went by the rule of not making this candy if it was raining or humid. It was so much better than the marshmallow fudge. Of course those who haven't tried this fudge & their family was used to the marshmallow fudge would disagree.

I made this fudge twice, the first time it came out crumbly but delish. I made it again today and it turned out perfect. You were correct... practice makes perfect and this is the fudge I remember my gramma making. Thank you for the memories :)

I also have memories of my mother making this really hard fudge. I tried and so has my daughters, but all we get is taffy type fudge. Are we beating it to long??? I love the sugary fudge as long as it is hard. Hum hum good

My mother is a choc-aholic she always made fudge also my aunt. This is my first time i am 52yrs old and am craving childhood treats. I made according to recipe and it came out great all i added was finely chopped pecans.

This is the best chocolate fudge I've ever tasted. I have been making this recipe since I was 10 years old. It is trickier to make than peanut butter fudge but oh, my, it is just sooooo good!!!

If the fudge turns out grainy you over cooked it! I have been making this fudge since I was 12yrs old. That's too many years to count up! I don't use a candy thermometer, I just wait until the bubble's spilt three ways and I know the fudge is done to perfection!! Oh yes add a good size dollop of creamy peanut butter to the cooked fudge and stir like crazy until it is stirred into the fudge (as you beat the fudge). Tastes like a reeses peanut butter cup!!

I followed this recipe to a "T", the tips also helped, it was still glossy when I poured it into my candy dish. I wasn't sure if it would set up but it did. It took me back to my childhood and the fudge my grandma and mom would make, it was so good... I recommend this recipe to anyone. This was my first time making fudge this way, I've only made fudge with the marshmallow creme before but I wanted to try to get that old fashioned taste back and with this recipe I accomplished it... Thank you so much. I will only be making my fudge this way now...

I followed this to a T...it was perfect! I had serious doubts about the not stirring and also the cooling ...also I beat it some but it made my arm soooo tired so I poured it into my dish and thought "well...it probably isn't going to set up...its still shiny.."I had only made peanut butter candy and not fudge so I guess I thought it would be similiar....but it was perfect! Thank you.

Yep, it takes awhile to master this fudge but it is worth it. As my 93 yr. old mother used to say... any idiot can make marshmallow fudge!! She was right. I inherited the making of this fudge from her; out of the 4 girls she had. My daughter expects this fudge on her birthday, Christmas, valentines day, you get the idea. Thanks Hershey!!!

We love it sugary! Thank goodness for me, since I have taken up the candy making reins since Grandma passed. So if you happen to get sugary fudge... fear not(!), lots of people like it that way.

I aim for the sugary grainy texture - it melts in your mouth. I DON'T like the creamy stuff at all. My Mom made this every Christmas, that is a LONG time to wait for the next batch. It is tricky, I use the cold water and the thermometer and I make a butterscotch fudge to die for! CHEERS.

I have been making this recipe for years since my mom stopped and it took a lot of practice but after all these years, I still use a candy thermometer and it works great every time.. Never sugary.

This is absolutely the best fudge recipe. I've made this for 50 years and here are some tips I've learned to make it come out perfectly almost every time...

1. Butter the side of the pan before you put in ingredients. I've used a pan spray with good results also.
2. Do Not stir after it starts to boil... even a small swish will make it turn to sugar.
3. When it reaches the soft ball stage take it off the heat and drop in the vanilla and butter (I've had it turn out just fine with margarine also). Don't stir these ingredients in, just let them sit as the fudge cools down. Don't move the pan again except to feel the bottom to see if it's at room temperature. Even then, move gently and don't drop it down on the counter.
4. When you start beating don't scrape down the sides or you might scrape undissolved sugar into the mixture and it may get sugary.
5. One thing you can do once the fudge has boiled down a bit is to use a pastry brush with a bit of water to wash down the sides so no sugar clings to it. This is optional.

The biggest mistake most people make when making old fashion fudge is to stir it after it's boiled and before it has cooled down.

I add a handful of choc, vanilla or butterscotch chips when beating and it is very creamy and smooth

This is absolutely the best recipe! My Dad used to make this for us five kids as a treat.. I have tried and tried to make it before but never could succeed! One time in my early newlywed days I had to even throw out a pan. Thank you! My pan was thin or cheap lol so I did the softball test at 17 min and it was perfect Thank you so much, I am a Grandma now so it took a long time

Help. I cooked this recipe exactly as written BUT I've been beating x 1 hr. How do I get it stiff enough????

Stir constantly until the mixture begins to boil then do not stir again until it has reached soft ball stage, you had removed it from the Heat and it is lowered to 110 degrees. Might take an hour or two to do that.