Dear Abby's Fabulous Buttermilk Fudge

2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 cube)
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 ts baking soda
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 ts vanilla

Butter 9-inch square baking dish. In 5 1/2-quart (or larger) saucepan, combine sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup and baking soda. (Do not use smaller saucepan because mixture will foam up nearly to the rim of pan.) Cook, stirring, over LOW heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
Cook very slowly, WITHOUT STIRRING, for 55 minutes, or until mixture forms hard ball when dropped into cup of very cold water. Cool 15 minutes. Beat with electric mixter until candy loses its gloss (about 5 minutes). Stir in nuts and vanilla. Pour into prepared baking dish.
Cut into squares while still warm.
Makes: About 3 dozen 1 1/2-inch squares of fudge - if you can resist "sampling"

Source: Dear Abby's favorite recipes, by Abigail Van Buren - 1987, 1988.