The recipe for Hershey's Cocoa Fudge says to add vanilla and butter to the fudge, but not to stir. How do you add them if you do not stir? Just let them melt and mix them in when the fudge cools? Please Help!

 What is the great problem that besets even the best fudge makers? Yes, the crystallization of their fudge. If you've ever made fudge (or anything based on a sugar syrup), you know that stirring when the sugar is held in suspension at high temperature can cause a massive crystallization, and result in grainy fudge.

All the Hershey's folks are asking for is a little patience. Yes, take the syrup from the heat. Add the butter and vanilla, but do not stir them into fudge until the mixture cools to around 100°F (38°C). Then, as you see from the recipe, they want you to actively beat all the ingredients together until it thickens, before cooling it further to room temperature.

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