Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Gramma Gert's Fudge

I know I've told you about the great Gramma Gert and I think I might have mentioned her deeeelicious fudge!

We loved it when Gram would come to visit! I can still see her now emerging out of the exit ramp to the plane (back in the day when you were allowed to meet someone right off their flight), with her white hair freshly curled, her long black lambs wool coat that I thought was so beautiful and glamorous, and her humongous green suitcase with a giant florescent red pom pom on the top that she made to prevent someone else who also happened to have a humongous green suitcase from being confused and trying to take hers by mistake.


Gram's visits meant I had a roommate (she always stayed with me), lots of card games, and FUDGE! My job in the fudge making was to break up the walnuts. Nobody could make the fudge quite like Gram - it's all about getting the temperature right. With a candy thermometer, it's kind of easy but without one it's hard!! Gram would test the readiness of the boiling the fudge by dripping the smallest amount into a cold glass of water. If the fudge turned into a ball - the fudge was ready. I haven't a clue how to determine this so I stick with the thermometer.


Gram was famous for three kinds of fudge, that to this day, I still have trouble deciding which one like best - chocolate, white, or panucci.


After some scientific research, I can tell you the most requested in this house is the chocolate (sans walnuts to my dismay).



I have my handy dandy sous chef here and we're ready to roll




Here is what you'll need




2 cups of white granulated sugar
4 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp of butter
2/3 cup of milk (her recipe calls for evaporated but I NEVER have that in the house and regular milk is A OK)




Have a pie plate lightly butter and the marshmallow fluff on standby





Put everything into a pan on the stove and bring to a boil stirring constantly (I always use the heat resistant spatulas to stir) Keep your candy thermometer in there (most have a little clip for hands free measurements) after somewhere between 6-8 minutes of constant stirring, remove from heat when thermometer reads 260 degrees (hard ball stage)








Place pan in a cool bath and stir in a heaping spoonful of marshmallow fluff. Mix it all in well. Pour mix into the buttered pie dish and slice after about 10 minutes.





Then say goodbye to the fudge because it will not last long!! One taste and I feel 9 again and ready for a game of crazy eights with Gram. I miss her so much, but love that something like this can bring her right back to me. xo, Brie

6 comments:

Seersucker Scrapper said...

Looks delicious!! I just love making fudge for the holidays!

Mmmmmmm

Preppy Lizard said...

YUM!!! Can you make some more and send it down to FL for me? Mmmmm Mmmmm Good!!

Anonymous said...

I want to come over for fudge. I want to pet her coat. I used to go stand in the closet and run my hands over that coat; they would get very tingly!

Anonymous said...

and wasn't the collar soft?

Bridget said...

I remember the whole thing being super soft and very pet-able. I wonder where it is, maybe we can time share it :)

The Mrs. said...

Have to make this!!!! also, ready for your master bed on monday!!!