Friday, January 06, 2006

Chocolate Fudge Resolution Breaker

Get Ready To Indulge
Why a recipe for fudge you might ask?

Beginning of Rant
Because everyone in this (substitute adjective of your choice here - personally, I suggest "frickin" but you may offended, so go with what your value system deems appropriate) household is on Weight Watchers except me. That means, as a retired person, I roam the house all day like a phantom looking for calories to sustain me lest I start looking Gandhi. Having been the victim of my own New Year's Resolutions over the years, I know this situation will soon pass, usually about the time of the Super Bowl. In fact, it's usually the exact day of the Super Bowl. But I digress.

Warning! This recipe makes a ton. You may want to cut it in half the first time.

The Recipe
Ready, set, go:

Basic Stuff
Utensils needed: Heatproof bowl; heavy-bottomed saucepan; baking sheet or platter, lightly buttered; wooden spoon.
Boiling time: 6 minutes.
Storage: Keep individually wrapped candies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week; refrigerated, up to 3 weeks. Personally, they rarely last that long so forget the wrapping part and get to eating!

Line This Stuff Up On Your Work Area
12 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups toasted walnut, pecan, macadamia, or other nuts, chopped, optional
10 tbsps unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (If you like REALLY DARK FUDGE, substitute a thsp of instant coffee for the vanilla.)
22 large marshmallows - (eat two right now and put 20 into your fudge!)
4 cups sugar
2 5-oz cans evaporated milk

Doing It
Combine the chocolate pieces, nuts (if using), butter, and vanilla in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside.

Place the marshmallows, sugar, and evaporated milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Continuing to stir, boil for exactly 6 minutes.

Remove from the heat and immediately pour the marshmallow mixture into the chocolate mixture; beat constantly until creamy. Quickly pour into the prepared pan or platter, pushing slightly with the back of a wooden spoon to spread the fudge evenly.

Cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into pieces. Serve at room temperature.

Quantity: Approximately 8 dozen pieces

The Good Part
Notice this doesn't require a candy thermometer or any silly tests like putting a drop of your valuable fudge into water to see if it forms a soft ball. Unbelievable!

Good luck and may two pieces of homemade fudge be on your nightstand tonight.

7 comments:

The Fly said...

I'm curious ow many British thermal units would be generated by igniting a 1"^3 chunk of said fudge.

Father Time said...

Well matey, me figers enough BTU's to raise a Titan missile 1m. from a 0 vel. start, or fry two pounds of codfish balls golden brown.

Anonymous said...

I'm honestly happy to have stumbled upon an easy fudge recipe, or more like my mother will be thrilled that I have stumbled upon this recipe...I don't bake. We've tried that one before, nasty results.

Oh, and reading this blog kind of makes me wish I had a nightstand.

Father Time said...

April: Thanks for the kind words. It's nice to know I have another reader. Regarding nightstands, when I was in college, other than a bed and desk, the only furniture I had was a nightstand. So, it's become a tradition for me to have cool things sitting there morale support at 3:00 AM.

The Fly said...

So, it's become a tradition for me to have cool things sitting there morale support at 3:00 AM.

The grammar and spelling on that sentence were both attrocious. Your punishment is to surrender your fudge.

Father Time said...

It's Sunday. What do you expect? You know I have no morales since I'm Caucasian.

The Fly said...

Traitor...