Nutella, a delicious mix of chocolate and hazelnuts, is just one of those absolutely wonderful delights that I enjoy just eating... Really... with a spoon and nothing else. I attempt to lay claim to it being healthy since it has some nut protein... but well... yeah... ::coughs::

It is tasty though and makes an excellent fudge! Also you may substitute out the same amount of natural peanut butter in this recipe for the Nutella and have an excellent peanut butter fudge... Want chocolate PB fudge? Cut the PB down by half and mix in one 12oz bag of chocolate chips. Fluctuate the ingredients as needed to adjust to personal PB vs. Chocolate flavor. Or, maybe PB fudge and melt a coat of chocolate on top... The limits are up to you!

Though enough of a side track, onto Nutella Fudge! Again, this recipe should look fairly familiar, but just a touch different.

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Nutella Fudge

What you’ll need:
3 Sticks of butter (1 ½ cups)
6 cups of sugar
1 12oz can evaporated milk
1/2 cup light corn syrup

26.5 oz jar of Nutella
2 tsp vanilla extract

A candy thermometer
A heavy four quart sauce pan
A wooden spoon
A Greased and parchment lined 13 X 9 pan
A large wire balloon whisk

Ensure you have everything ready before starting to cook as once the recipe is going you have to work very quickly and remain focused on the fudge during the recipe.

Start by melting the butter, Sugar, Corn Syrup, and Milk all in the sauce pan on medium high heat, stirring often to ensure the bottom doesn’t scorch. Once everything is melted turn the heat down to medium, put in the candy thermometer and keep stirring constantly. You can step away for a moment or two if you need to but I wouldn’t recommend leaving for more than ten to fifteen seconds, and only if you must. Continue to stir the mixture until the candy thermometer reads 243 degrees. I’ve found that once the mixture reaches a boil it usually takes around six minutes to reach 243 degrees, though everyone’s stove and cooking environment can be different so a thermometer is always the best way to go. I do the slightly higher temperature on the Nutella Fudge since the creamy, softer texture of the Nutella and higher fat will add more softness to the fudge naturally.

Once the mixture is up to 243 degrees, remove it from the heat and immediately mix in all the jar of Nutella. Use the whisk now and beat the mixture until the chocolate is melted, add in the vanilla extract and continue to beat until the mixture is starting to thicken, probably just about a minute at most. Immediately pour into your prepared pan, give it a shake and a tap to help smooth it out and let it sit for about four hours to set and come to room temperature.

To cut the fudge place a cutting board over the pan and flip. With the parchment it should easily come out of the pan then peal away the parchment. Cut into small squares (I use a pizza cutter for this) and pack in an airtight tin with wax paper or parchment in between the layers. I find it lasts easily for up to two to three weeks in this environment.