Caramel Fudge Cutouts

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 8 caramels, chopped
• 3/4 cup skinned hazelnuts or 3/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 butter an aluminum foil-lined 8-inch square baking pan; set aside.
• 2 butter the inside of a large heavy saucepan.
• 3 combine sugar and cocoa in saucepan; stir in milk and corn syrup.
• 4 bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• 5 add 4 tablespoons butter, stirring until butter melts.
• 6 cover and simmer over medium heat 3 minutes.
• 7 uncover and cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 238° (about 15 minutes).
• 8 remove from heat.
• 9 add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and remaining ingredients.
• 10 do not stir.
• 11 let mixture cool to 130° (about 40 minutes).
• 12 beat fudge by hand with a wooden spoon until it thickens and begins to lose its gloss (about 10 minutes).
• 13 quickly spread fudge into prepared pan; let cool completely.
• 14 lift fudge out of pan with foil; invert fudge onto a cutting board, and discard foil.
• 15 cut desired shapes using 2-inch cookie cutters, or cut fudge into 1 1/2-inch squares.