FUDGE Brownies *No Bake*

Is it fudge or a brownie?  You taste and decide.

My opinion on these is that it's somewhere in between fudge and a brownie.  Creamy like fudge, but less dense.

What I like about these is that unlike fudge and some baked brownie recipes, these are not sickeningly sweet, despite the amount of sugar used.

If you wanted to cut down the sugar some, substitute the graham crumbs for saltines.  That would probably work and give a different turn on the texture.

The original recipe, which was from an ancient Bake-Off book from the late 1950s called for all butter, but these days I'm into subbing coconut oil for at least 1/2 the butter.  You can substitute all coconut oil if you wish and an unprocessed coconut oil would add a nice coconutty flavor!  They could probably be made entirely vegan with a soy/almond/coconut milk substitution, HOWEVER (and it's a big HOWEVER) it would have to mimic evaporated milk...most of the water content would have to be removed.  I'm not even sure if they sell such a thing...but if they do, it's probably a safe substitution.  If you choose to use any of the above in their normal state, the sugar/milk mixture will have to be boiled longer--to what is known as "soft-ball" stage, so you'd need a candy thermometer.  But do this at your own risk, because I'm not sure what your results will be.  They'll be TASTY but they may not set up.

• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (I used 1/2 butter, 1/2 coconut oil)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Spray or grease a 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 inch pan.  Set aside.

Place evaporated milk, sugar and butter in a large, deep saucepan.  Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. When mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Mixture will foam and rise...you need a DEEP saucepan as the volume will double when boiling...this is important!!!

Add the flour, chocolate chips, walnuts and graham cracker crumbs.  Stir until well combine.

Pour in prepared pan and let cool.  Pan may also be placed in the refrigerator to speed the cooling process (about 30 minutes in refrigerator).

Cut into 9 bars when cool.  Serves 9

No-Bake Brownies

No-Bake Brownies