Retro Recipe: Microwave Double-Chocolate Fudge

I collect vintage cookbooks, so I was over the moon when I found a copy of the Betty Crocker Microwave Cookbook, published in 1981. The technology was relatively new back then, so the book is written with fresh enthusiasm about its convenience. I was surprised at how lengthy the book was too; it has chapters of main dishes, appetizers, cakes and breads. I quickly realized that most all of these recipes are still relevant today—there are so many I have bookmarked to try!

The candies in the “Snacks” chapter caught my attention immediately. There are quite a few recipes that only take minutes to make. One of the best recipes I’ve tried so far is the Double Chocolate Fudge. It takes about five minutes to put together, and after a short time in the refrigerator it’s ready to cut and serve.

Most of the ingredients are staples for the home cook, so you may have everything on hand already. You’ll need a can of sweetened condensed milk (not to be confused with evaporated milk), a 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups nuts (about 8 oz.), 1 ounce of unsweet baking chocolate and a teaspoon of vanilla—that’s it!

Mix the two chocolates and the condensed milk together in a 2-quart microwave-safe dish.

Microwave for 1 minute at full power (100%).

Stir the mixture well. Most of the chocolate will have melted, but you’ll notice some lumps of un-melted chocolate still floating around in the dish. Microwave again for 1 minute at full power.

Stir the mixture well. If it isn’t completely smooth after stirring, microwave again for 1 minute.

Stir in the vanilla extract. The chocolate might steam a little with this addition, so be careful.

Stir in the nuts. I used roasted salted almonds because I love the salty sweet combination.

Pour the mixture into a buttered dish. The recipe calls for an 8 x 8 x 2 dish, but I used a 10 x 7 x 2.

Cut the fudge into 1-inch pieces and serve. These look especially nice displayed on a tray in little condiment cups or candy papers.