This is fundraiser fudge, not a confectionery exam. It travels well, cuts cleanly, and disappears from a folding table before anyone remembers who was supposed to be collecting the cash.
Denise would wrap the pieces in wax paper, correct the misspelled sign, and make sure the student who forgot lunch got two.
Ingredients
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup evaporated milk
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 jar marshmallow creme, 7 ounces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
How to make it
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment and lightly butter it.
- Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Boil exactly 5 minutes, continuing to stir.
- Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until smooth, then add marshmallow creme, vanilla, salt, and pecans.
- Spread immediately in the prepared pan. Let cool completely before lifting out and cutting into small squares.
From Susannah’s Kitchen
A candy thermometer is not required here, but a timer is. Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, five minutes means five minutes.
The Book Connection
Book 10 is rooted in the school and the everyday work of teaching. Fudge fits because it belongs to bake sales, booster tables, teacher lounges, and the quiet community machinery that keeps a school alive when the official systems fail it.
Cook Along with Lark Mesa
The Year She Came Home
This kitchen story is paired with Book 10 in the Lark Mesa Romance series. Meet the people, places, and small-town moments behind the recipe.
Explore the Lark Mesa books →