Place the condensed milk, butter, cocoa and salt in a medium sized saucepan and put over a medium-low heat on the stove.

Melt the ingredients together and then continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Keep stirring and scraping the pan continuously until the mixture has thickened; if you draw your wooden spoon along the bottom of the saucepan it should take a good 3 seconds for the fudge to refill the space (you can also check the mixture with a digital thermometer, about 96 degrees celsius seems to be optimum!).

Remove from the heat and beat in the rum (or any other flavourings you are using).

Allow the mixture to cool on the side then place in the fridge for a good two hours or overnight to firm up.

Rub a little oil or butter on your hands to stop the sweets sticking, then take a teaspoonful of the fudge and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

Dip and roll each ball in the chocolate strands to finish; they look very pretty served in paper petit-four cases, or layered between sheets of greaseproof paper in a vintage tin as a festive gift.