One of my dearest memories is my mom making this fudge for me and my sister. We didn't have a lot of money but we always had the ingredients to make this fudge.

My dad used to make over 30 batches of this fudge every Christmas and pass them out to family and friends. We could never get enough! My dad has been gone 14 years and we sure miss the fudge. I think I may give it a try this year in dad's memory.

I would just like to comment to all who have make fudge before, this is the best recipe and please, please, please....if you have to put your fudge in the fridge to get it to set....follow the directions next time. Dad chose this over cakes and pies and pudding - his fave!

This is the BEST and ONLY FUDGE, although yesterday I tried a simple upgrade using Ghirardelli cocoa, but it didn't work for me. Live and learn.

I started using this recipe last Christmas. It taste like the one my grandmother and mother used to make. I added rasins and pecans to the recipe. It is wonderful! I will make this again for this Christmas to give to friends and family.

My fudge turned out great. I didn't think it was going to set, but all is well :)

I love this fudge, I've been loving it for 40 years, all others are inferior to this, but I still will eat the too. :) Patience is the key to making this fudge. Mine is cooling now, yum yum!

What did I do wrong..?..Mine is still a bit runny :( But good thing is I have never made fudge in my life so for the first time I expected it

Well I was looking for a fudge to make because my father in law asked me to learn how to make it. My great granny and my granny died before they could teach me, but there was always Hershey's cocoa in the pantry. So since I have never made fudge this will be the recipe I will use. I just have two questions for all you people who don't like to spend time cooking: what did people do before quick 'n easy? Don't you know the more time and love you put into what you do the better it is. The world is going to crap because no one has time for anything, not even family. I wont raise my 5 children like this.

Apparently I fail in many sorts. My mom tried this recipe out a couple of weeks ago and it turned to soup. I decided to try again, and still it's soup.

What in the world am I doing wrong? We keep beating it but the consistency is that of syrup. This is my first time ever attempting fudge of any sort and I've definitely been discouraged by the results. I just wanted fudge covered oreos!

Miss Kitrina, you have just made chocolate syrup that will flavor milk, Just like the store bought. If it is syrup you didn't get it hot enough. Get it too hot and it turns to toffee (Think Riesen) even hotter it will turn to hard candy. All additives should be added when the butter goes in depending on the melting point of the additive. Marshmallows would be added just before stirring. I have also added a small amount of corn syrup as it help prevent the sugar from forming the sugary crystals that make it grainy. Cream cheese is also a good additive!!!.

Kitrina, this may help your fudge dilema. Temperature is everything but I've made it for so many decades that I don't need a recipe or a thermometer. Just like CM's recipe reads is perfect, so bring sugar, cocoa, dash salt, and whole milk to a boil stirring constantly on medium heat-it will be a "foamy" boil and then you STOP stirring and then it will die down to a lava-looking boil (thicker). That's when I test a little bit from a spoon into ice water for soft ball formation and take off heat if it makes a ball in water. And use butter, not margarine to continue the recipe as given. Hope this helps. CM's recipe is spot on.

My grandma made this fudge every Christmas. It was her present to everyone of her kids families. She would wrap each piece in foil and put in an empty coffee can. My Dad would hide it in his bedroom and I would find it and sneak a piece! It is kind of hard to make, especially now that I've moved to a much higher altitude, but I still love it and all the memories it brings back of my Grandma B.

Two ladies (Janet Welcome and Mary C) mentioned using this recipe to frost cakes which sounds delicious! I'm wondering - how long would you beat the fudge? Would it be too thick if you beat it until it loses some of its gloss?

I make the old-fashioned Hershey's cocoa fudge, but I add 1 tbsp. of white corn syrup, 1 tsp. black walnut flavoring and 1 cup of black walnuts. My kids love it.

Linda, so I finally found someone else who uses BLACK WALNUT flavoring instead of vanilla-so delicious. I don't have access to black walnuts so I use plain walnuts. I've been making this recipe for 60 years so the recipe is in my head but I wanted to read reviews.

I have made this recipe all my life too and have also eaten it in a spoon and have broken it into pieces to eat -- just wanted to say my recipe calls for 2 tbsp of Karo syrup, 2 cups of sugar 2 tbsp cocoa and 1 cup of milk. I am going to try and just add 2 tsp of karo to this recipe and see what happens.

I started making this fudge when I turned 12 years old.I too have had to eat it with a spoon or throw it out because I cooked it too long. I'm 57 years now and I have perfected it to an art. A tip for you once it becomes a full boil turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes, drop by teaspoon into cold water for a soft ball stage, then remove from heat add vanilla and butter. Do not stir, until all butter has melted. Immediately put the pan into a sink of cold water, mix it well and let it sit there until the shine leaves. Very quickly pour into a greased pan. It is the best fudge I have ever eaten. Another tip: it will not set if it is raining. I only make it on a clear cool day.

Thank you Teresa in Tennessee for reminding me of putting the pan in some cold water. I had forgotten that part. My mom passed away in June 2006, 14 1/2 years now. She always made this recipe when I was young. She taught me how to make it when I was 12. I'm 64 now.

She always added smooth creamy peanut butter to it at the end. I just can't remember how much and sometimes she added chopped walnuts. She also never had a candy thermometer, I learned the soft ball method. I also forgot about never make this when it's raining. I just made a batch last Sunday using 2% milk and it's all gone. Going to make another tomorrow using whole milk this time before the rain comes on Christmas Eve. I had stopped making this fudge when the Magic Cookie Bar recipe came out. It was a much easier recipe and quick too. But nothing compares to this fudge. It's the best hands down. I also found out that the recipe was no longer on the cocoa can (mom always saved the empty one). So when I found the recipe again I was very happy. I just don't know if I can ever get it to taste the same as when my mom made it. Comes real close though.