Grease a tin around 36cm square.

Mix the milk, butter, sugar and evaporated milk in a saucepan and heat gently. Continue stirring until your butter has melted and your sugar has dissolved.

Stop stirring the mixture, and bring to the boil. Continue heating until it reaches 240°F/116°C. You must measure this with a proper sugar thermometer. Once it has reached the boiling point stir it regularly until it reaches the desired temperature.

When you get to the right temperature, remove from the heat and mix in the vanilla.

Let it cool for around 10 minutes and then beat it thoroughly until it starts to thicken. You'll see it start to go a bit grainy at the edges. It might take about 10 minutes.

Pour around a third of your mixture into your tin. Leave it for a few minutes, then top with half your chocolate, and half your cherries if you're using them.

Add another layer of fudge and repeat until you've finished.

Leave to set for about twenty minutes. Score into 32 pieces.

Leave to cool completely and cut through properly.

Your fudge should keep for at least 2 weeks in a Tupperware container.