Old school dinner recipes - chocolate fudge?

* 2 cups granulated sugar

* ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

* ¼ teaspoon salt

* ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

* 1 cup evaporated milk

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.

2. Add the butter and evaporated milk to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.

3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the fudge has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.

4. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and walnuts, if desired.

5. Pour the fudge into a greased 8-inch square baking pan and let it cool completely before cutting into squares.

Tips:

* To make the fudge even richer, use dark chocolate instead of unsweetened cocoa powder.

* For a smoother fudge, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve before pouring it into the baking pan.

* If you don't have an 8-inch square baking pan, you can also use a 9-inch round baking pan. The fudge will just be thinner.

* Fudge will keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.