Prepare the pan by greasing it and lining it on all sides with parchment paper. Set aside.
Prepare the ingredients. Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl to remove any lumps. Scoop out the cocoa powder and prepare the correct amount of butter and milk. Set these aside. Prep all the ingredients so that when the fudge is being made, everything is ready to go and you don’t have to stop. If you are making a flavor variation, make sure your additional ingredients are also ready to go.
Melt the butter. In the large pot, melt together the butter and milk. Let it come to a simmer over medium heat. Make sure to stir this frequently so that the butter and milk don’t scald on the bottom of the pan.
Add the cocoa. Now, add the cocoa powder to the butter mixture. Using your heat safe spoon, begin to mix constantly until all the cocoa is incorporated into the butter mixture.
Add the remaining ingredients. Now, add the sifted powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Remove the pot from the heat as you stir. Mix this until smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes of constant mixing. If you have sifted the powdered sugar, it should become smooth more quickly. If after several minutes it is still dry and crumbly looking, you can add a splash more of milk.
If you were to add any extra ingredients for different flavor variations, now is the time to mix them in quickly.
Put in prepared pan. Quickly but carefully transfer the fudge to the prepared pan. Using a spatula you can gently press the fudge into all the corners. Don’t work the fudge too much at this stage. It is already starting to set and you want to see that beautiful ribboned top on the fudge.
Chill. Let the fudge chill for 30 minutes at room temperature. Then, place the fudge in the fridge and let chill for at least 3 hours.
Slice the fudge. To slice the fudge, make sure that it has chilled for at least 3 hours, the longer it chills the easier it is to slice. Gently pull on the parchment paper to remove the fudge from the pan. Place the fudge on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut the fudge into the desired size and shape. Wipe the knife clean with each pass for best results. Serve and enjoy!
