Make This Fudge Without A Candy Thermometer

There are sweet makers, and there are sweet eaters, and I am firmly in the latter camp. Though I don’t mind a cathartic cooking sesh, my main goal – during the holidays especially – is to churn out the treats. This is why this fudge, which takes less than five minutes of your active time, gets made every single Christmas.

Photos by Claire Lower.

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2017/12/haystacks-are-the-easiest-two-ingredient-confection-youll-make-all-season/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/km4nuqf7rud8rzkn1gfs.jpg” title=”Haystacks Are The Easiest Two-Ingredient Confection You’ll Make All Season” excerpt=”If there was ever an ever-present Christmas confection during my youth, it was the haystack. Neither lolly nor cookie, this unassuming, almost too easy treat simply has no business being as addictive as it is.”]

The recipe is so simple, it almost feels like cheating. Besides salt and vanilla, which I bet you already have, you’ll need an 340g bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and a 400g can of sweetened condensed milk.

Pour these two in a microwave safe bowl, along with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and give everything a stir. You can also add a cup and a half of nuts, dried fruit (why though?), or mini marshmallows, if you like. Pop it in the microwave for a minute, stir again, and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one, until the chips are completely melted. Stir in a teaspoon of vanilla, transfer to a 23cm(ish) square pan lined with baking or wax paper, and smooth out the top. Then you wait.

Once the fudge is matte on top and completely firm – this will take a couple of hours in a cool, dry place – lift it from the pan by its paper and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut it into squares, eat five pieces in a manner most unbecoming of your station, and store the rest in an airtight container at room temperature.

Enjoy your very easy, but still creamy, rich and slightly crystalline confection. I don’t know if the lack of laborious stirring, boiling sugar and temperature monitoring makes it taste better, but it doesn’t hurt.