Simple and Delicious Chocolate Fudge

This fudge is the perfect last-minute addition to a Christmas hamper. Provided you have a large saucepan and a sugar thermometer, it's really simple and is incredibly smooth and delicious.
Use a much larger saucepan than the mixture looks like it needs (I used a large stock pot) - it bubbles up like crazy, so the bigger the pan, the less you have to worry about making a mess/having to take the pan off the heat constantly for fear of causing that mess.

Makes around 24 pieces of fudge

Ingredients:

• 300ml whole milk
• 350g caster sugar
• 100g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tsp ground ginger (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g dark chocolate (I used 55% but you could go darker if you like), finely chopped

Method:

1. Grease and line the base of a 20cm square tin (I used a silicon-one but a standard cake tin would work fine, or even a sandwich tub) with baking parchment.

2. Pour the milk, sugar and butter into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring regularly. Once boiling, continue stirring and checking the temperature of the mixture. It will take about 15 minutes for it to reach 115c/239f.

3. Once the mixture reaches 115c/239f, take off the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Add the chopped chocolate, ginger and vanilla extract and stir until melted.

4. Continue to stir the mixture whilst it cools - it will begin to thicken and come away from the sides of the pan. Keep beating until it loses its glossy appearance (it starts to go a matt brown colour).

5. Pour into the prepared tin/tub and smooth. Leave to cool to room temperature before slicing into squares. Store in an airtight tub :)

6. Enjoy!