Diane's Easy Microwave Fudge

Fudge is definitely NOT on my current diet, but it's Valentine's Day and my sweetheart loves a sweet treat. This is an easy and fast fudge to make ... not the traditional, but it sure does taste terrific. I am adding walnuts and dried cherries to my version because I was inspired by Mary Bergfeld's post the other day on One Perfect Bite. Cherries and nuts are two of our favorite snacks around here; add the fudge factor and I see no way that this fudge can go wrong! I'm even going to put the pieces in a sweet little package for my guy ...

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you find some treats or cards somewhere in your day!

Diane's Easy Microwave Fudge

Ingredients:

⅔ c. sweetened condensed milk
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate ( 70% cacao), broken into small chunks
1 tsp. vanilla
⅛ tsp. salt
½ c. chopped walnuts, roasted and chopped small
½ c. dried cherries, chopped into small pieces

Making the Fudge:

1. Prepare all the ingredients and the pan before starting. To prepare pan, line an 8 x 8 inch pan with tin foil, smoothing it into all the corners and up the sides. Spray the pan with a light layer of baking spray.

2. Combine the sweetened condensed milk and the chocolate chunks in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH setting for 2 minutes, stirring after one minute. Remove the chocolate mixture after the second minute and stir briskly to melt the rest of the chocolate chunks.

3. Stir in the vanilla, salt, nuts and cherries and quickly smooth the fudge out in the prepared pan.

4. Refrigerate for about one hour and then turn the fudge out onto a cool cutting board and cut into 64 small squares.

5. Box up in pretty tins, boxes, mini-loaf pans, etc. Cover snuggly and tie a pretty ribbon around the parcel for gifting.