I use a hand mixer to help cool the fudge down for 5-10 min on med. The mixture is still very hot, so the chips will melt. I also pour the hot mixture over the marshmallow cream, butter and vanilla, after it is mixed and smooth, then I add the chocolate and melt it in. milk, so sugar won't crystallize on the sides. A few tips: I do, I butter down the sides of the pan before I cook the sugar and evap. I have make this fudge several times for others throughout the year, because everyone loves it, and I nail it every time.

I by huge bags of chocolate chips during the holidays, and just weigh out 18 oz. I use Marshmallow creme, butter, and double the recipe of the LA Times version, except my chocolate amount is 18 oz instead of 12 (if you doubled the LA times recipe) this recipe has 24 oz. The LA times published the 'original' recipe not long ago, here is the link if anyone is interested. My mother cut it out and I remember reading it, but that was in the 60s, I was 7 or 8. See's fudge was the only recipe they published in the newspaper. I've always used Nestle semi-sweet, but I'm going to try Guittard brand next time. I believe Guittard Chocolate Company, started in San Francisco in the late 1890s, makes a special brand of chocolate for See's. My grandmother said margarine was used in the 30s to keep the cost down during the depression, and I think the marshmallows had something to do with sugar rationing during WWII. My grandmother always used margarine and marshmallows and my mother always used butter and marshmallow creme. Her 'original' recipe handed down is almost the same here, except it had 18 ounces of chocolate (3, 6 ounce bags) of chocolate chips and 2 tsp of vanilla. My grandmother worked at See's in the the thirties. Like other posts, I grew up in LA, and so did my mother and grandmother, who made this fudge every Christmas. Isn't that the point of a good recipe? To enjoy it and share it with others? Not argue over who is right or wrong! It doesn't really matter, enjoy the food, enjoy the company you are sharing it with, enjoy life! My suggestion, play with it, see which one you like best! They are both amazingly good recipes and everytime I make them, it brings back so many memories of my grandmother.

The first recipe developed used Marshmallow creme and Sweetened condensed milk, the second recipe developed used Marshmallows and Evaporated milk. So it seems that the recipe above is a mixed up version of both the recipes that were used. Where are the Sweetened condensed milk had been around since the 1800's and had a longer shelf life and did not need refridgeration. It was the only thing she talked about constantly! Childhood stories for me! They also originally used sweetened condensed milk as evaporated milk was brand new on the market in the 1920's and hard to get. She loved working there and talked about it every chance she got. I also have the 2nd recipe with the Marshmallows and all my grandmothers personal notes, comments, etc on the paper. I have the original recipe directly from my grandmother and it has been passed down to the girls in the family for 92 years now. My grandmother worked there for many many years and was instrumental in the development of many of the recipes. Mary and my Grandmother decided to us Marshmallows instead of the fluff. MarshMallows had been developed and had now turned into a sugar and gelatin substance and did not use the Marsh Mallow sap which made it much cheaper. It was very popular starting in 1917 and therefore was very expensive to put into a recipe as it was made from the sap of the Marsh Mallow plant and it was difficult to process or you had to purchase it from Egypt which was even more expensive, they originally used the marshmallow creme but then switched to Marshmallows in late 1948 because of the cost and availability factors. The recipe actually did include Marshmellow creme (Marshmellow fluff) is what it was called back then. She was hired because of her extensive experience with recipes and candy creations as her parents (my great grandparents) owned a Candy Store in Camarillo and then moved to Los Angeles to go into business with my Great Great Grandfather who owned a plumbing company on Western Ave. My grandmother Vivian Rollins worked for the very first see's candy store on Western Ave. I am sure everyone has an opinion and I value those opinions, however, here is what I know to be fact.

Recipe for see's vanilla fudge