MJF: Made several times. Best recipe.

Butter sides of 3-quart pot. Pour sugar in. Add cream, corn syrup, and salt. Set over low heat. Stir almost constantly with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolved; do not boil. May take 8 to 10 mins.

When sugar dissolved, increase the heat to medium. Add the chocolate and stir often until it is melted and incorporated. Stir occasionally until mixture comes to a boil. Clip candy thermometer to side of pot, with bulb just above bottom of the pot.

Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle rolling boil. Stir every 2 to 3 minutes scraping the lower sides of the pot as well as the bottom so it doesnt stick burn. Boil until it reaches a temperature of 235 F (some say 234-237).

When the fudge reaches 235 F, remove from heat. Add the butter and vanilla, do not stir in. Cool undisturbed until the temp falls to 115 F. Have nuts nearby

Meanwhile, line an 8 square pan with foil. Lightly butter.

When fudge is 110 F (some say 115-130), stir. Stir thoroughly, but it is not necessary to beat. Scrape pot bottom, and the pot sides no more than 1/3 of the way from bottom.

Continue 15 to 20 minutes. When fudge will stiffens slightly and begin to lose its gloss, add nuts and stir couple more times. Dont wait until totally loses gloss or it will be crumbly. Turn into prepared pan. Avoid scraping the pot more than 1/3 of the way up from the bottom. Butter your hands lightly and press the fudge out to make an even layer. Cool completely before cutting.

Lift out fudge, still in foil. Peel sides. Use a large knife to cut into 36 pieces. Run knife blade under hot then dry it off, frequently, to keep cuts neat. Cover, store in refrigerator for several days or freeze for longer storage; allow to come to room temperature before serving.