Grandma's Christmas Fudge

Each Christmas, my grandma makes THE BEST fudge. This week I called her to see if she would pass on her "secret" recipe to me. :) She started listing the ingredients and quantities of each. I was surprised to hear the recipe uses whole (or 2%) milk rather then condensed milk. My grandma said this gives the fudge a richer taste. After she finished giving me the recipe I asked her the recipe came from (expecting it to be some family secret, with a great story behind it, passed down by generation). Grandma said "It came from the back of the Hershey's Coca can in the 70's". Oh boy! I laughed and thanked grandma for sharing "the secret". It took some hunting, but I found the exact recipe on the Hershey's website. Enjoy! It is delicious.

Rich Coca Fudge by Hershey's
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) (My grandma adds walnuts, but I did not add either)

Directions:
1. Line 8- inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter foil.

2. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in heavy medium size saucepan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil. Boil, without stirring, until mixture reaches 234°F on candy thermometer

3. Remove from heat before adding butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR. Cool at room temperature. Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens and just begins to lose some of its gloss. Quickly spread into prepared pan; cool completely (refrigerate for at least 2 hours is recommended)