White Christmas Cherry-Almond Fudge

Line an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Lightly butter the foil and set aside.

Butter sides of a heavy, medium saucepan. Add powdered sugar, milk, and 1/4 cup butter to saucepan. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar (avoid splashing onto side of pan). Reduce heat to medium-low. Boil gently, without stirring, 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the white chocolate . If you like, stir in almond extract. Stir until white chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Remove from heat; stir in dried fruit and almonds. Quickly pour into prepared pan. Chill candy overnight.

When firm, use foil to lift fudge from pan. Cut into 1-inch squares. Store in a tightly covered container in refrigerator.