Oh fudge!

Danielle has been asking for people to cook their favourite recipes for him, so I thought I'd share my recipe for chocolate fudge. It's simple and it's completely awesome - try this and your tastebuds will pass out with pleasure, I promise! And no, it's not low-carb...

Technically this is tablet (the Scottish variety) and not fudge, because the end result should be hard to the touch but have a melt-in-your mouth texture. I've also used it as a crispy fudge topping for a chocolate cake.

You need:
1lb sugar
half a pint milk
real full-fat butter
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (NOT drinking chocolate!)

1. Butter a clean non-stick metal tray.
   
2. Put sugar and milk in a deep pan - it's going to expand a lot as it cooks. Warm, stirrring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar has dissolved. 
3. Add a knob of butter and the cocoa. Bring to the boil.
4. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. The mix will darken and the noise it makes will change - it will start to make a soft "blat blat" sound as the bubbles burst.
5. It's ready when a small drop of the mix, tipped into a bowl of cold water, forms a firm cohesive ball instead of dissolving into the water.
6. Take off the heat. Beat with the wooden spoon. This bit is hard work ... just keep beating.
7. Eventually the mixture will start to feel "rough," or "gritty", as crystals start to form.
   Pour out onto the greased baking tray. Cut into squares before it cools.
8. When cold, store in an airtight container.

(If you don't boil it long enough it will turn out softer, if you overheat it will turn to toffee. And if you don't pour it out as soon as you feel the roughness develop, it will set solid in the pan...)

Enjoy!