Chocolate cherry fudge

Before I get into this post, I think there's something I should tell you: I don't like fudge. Never have - I've always found it too sweet, too rich and somewhat sickly. But I also note that this puts me very much in the minority. I've given (shop-bought) fudge as presents to people in the past and it has always gone down inordinately well. So, if for no other reason than that, I feel I should probably expand my repertoire of desserts into the realm of fudge. Plus, it's an additional excuse to play with hot sugar. So anyway, here's the recipe.

Chocolate Cherry Fudge
Ingredients

• 300ml Milk
  
• 350g Soft brown sugar
• 60g Dark chocolate
  
• 2 tbsp Golden syrup
• 75g Butter
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 50ml Kirsch
• 100g Glacé cherries
  

Method

1. Put the milk, sugar, chocolate, golden syrup and butter into a saucepan and heat gently until all the ingredients have melted or dissolved.
2. Bring to the boil and heat to 115C (soft ball stage).
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes until the temperature is down to about 60C.
4. Beat the vanilla extract and the kirsch in with a wooden spoon.
   
5. Chop up the glacé cherries and place in the bottom of a well-greased cake tin.
6. Pour the fudge over the cherries and allow to set at room temperature.

Here's the fudge in the tins setting. I probably could (and should) have fit it into a single tin.

I have slight doubts about it, particularly as I think 50ml of kirsch might be a bit too much liquid, but we shall see. Hopefully it will set!