Christmas Treat Boxes for Neighbors and Marvelous Mocha Fudge Recipe

No one who knows me will ever confuse me with a Martha Stewart masochist, but I took the plunge and made treat boxes for some neighbors and friends this year.  Six of them.  But still.  Here's what they look like:

And here's what's in them, clockwise from the top left: German chocolate/chocolate chip cookies, marvelous mocha fudge, ginger chewies, cranberry bark, forgotten cookies, and saltine toffee.

Since I've been kvetching about the "marvelous" mocha fudge on Facebook, and then I recanted, since it really is marvelous, I thought I should at least post the recipe.  So here 'tis:

Marvelous Mocha Fudge
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
3 T. instant coffee granules
2 T. butter
1/4 t. salt
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine first five ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir for 3 to 4 minutes (I chose 3 minutes); remove from heat.  Stir in marshmallows until completely melted.  Let mixture cool for a couple of minutes, then stir in chocolate chips, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Mixture will be stiff and dry-looking.  Press into an 8 x 8 pan lined with aluminum foil.  Refrigerate until firm, about 2 to 3 hours.  Lift fudge from pan and cut into pieces.

This is a drier, old-fashioned fudge recipe.  It has a creamy "mouthfeel" (I'm stealing that term from wine snobs) and a rich, delicious taste.  Everyone whose had some gives it a big thumbs-up -- even Himself, who doesn't really care for chocolate.  High praise, indeed!