Microwave fudge is my guilty pleasure. Take one large bar of chocolate, one can of condensed milk, melt them together - and you've got the tastiest, gooiest fudge you've ever laid eyes on, with basically no effort at all.
I like to add chopped toasted walnuts for texture, but other nuts, seeds or crunchy sweets (Crunchie bars, Smarties or M&Ms) work well too.
OK, so it's not the healthiest three ingredient recipe in the world... but in this clean, green-obsessed world, we need a bit of indulgence every once in a while. To stop you eating it all yourself, why not give some away as a gift - wrap a few squares of fudge in cellophane and tie it up with a pretty ribbon. Christmas, sorted.
Makes approx 36 small squares
Ingredients:
350g milk chocolate, chopped or broken into small pieces
397g can condensed milk
80g toasted walnuts
Method:
Line a small square baking tray (20cm x 20cm) with tin toil or crumpled greaseproof paper, making sure you push it well into the sides and corners so you get neat edges.
Put the chopped chocolate in a microwave-friendly bowl and blast it for 20-second bursts, stirring in between each until it's fully melted.
While the chocolate is melting, chop the toasted walnuts into small pieces.
Add a tin of condensed milk to the melted chocolate and stir it through. Do this quickly - it will start to thicken - until the mixture is fully combined.
Mix half the walnuts through the fudge mixture, before transferring it to the prepared tin, using a spoon or palette knife to spread it evenly.
Scatter the remaining walnuts on top and press them down into the fudge so the top is flat.
Put the baking tray in the fridge and leave it for around 3 hours to set.
Once set, cut the fudge into small squares.
Store it in the fridge or a cool place. It should keep for around a week.
Alternative fudge flavours...
Depending on your preference, you can use either dark or white chocolate instead. There's a recipe in my book for white chocolate cookie fudge, so I'll keep you in suspense for that one...
As walnut alternatives, why not try a sprinkle of sea salt or a few pinches of chilli flakes? Or swirl caramel or peanut butter through the mixture before it sets to give a contrasting flavour - you'll need around 2 heaped tablespoons of each.