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.