Fudge!

Here's a little tidbit many of you may not know about me: when I was growing up, my parents gave mixed signals about kashrus. My father was pretty strict, but my mother tended to be a little lax. She would take me to non-kosher restaurants, like Hard Rock Cafe and Olive Garden, where we would both get salads. My mother would insist the croutons, eggs, tuna and parmesean cheese were okay. In addition to this, my mother used to buy Fudgery fudge. She had once looked at the bag of fudge mix that they use and had determined that it contained nothing inherently non-kosher. (I suppose that means it contained no lard or gelatin). Well, as a kid, I loved that fudge. In fact, it downright broke my heart when I realized it wasn't technically kosher.
Ever since then, I've basically never had fudge again. All that is getting ready to change. I finally worked up the courage to consider, maybe, possibly, at some point in the future, making homemade fudge. It doesn't sound too complicated, though I think I may need a candy thermometer, and I've been without fudge for far too long. There's something just absolutely heavenly about a good, creamy, rich fudge that no other form of sweets can compare to. The perfect fudge is thick enough to require some chewing, but soft enough that it can be cut with a plastic spoon. It has creamy, subtle flavors, but is rich enough that you wouldn't really want to eat too much in one sitting. And it is also incredibly high in calories.
I've found a couple of recipes on recipezaar.com but I'd like to use a recipe that is really tried and true, preferably tried by one of my trusted friends. So, any suggestions?