I do really love to cook and have inherited some great recipes from my Aunt Heidi - chocolate chip cookies, Aunt Jan -
homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs, the guys salsa recipe from Park 'N' Swap, and now Grandma's fudge!
One of the best things that I did with my grandma growing up was bake! She could make the meanest batch of fudge I have ever tasted! Many of my students and even Chad's dad made fudge for Christmas and it was all delicious, but, it just wasn't grandma's. Their fudge was mushy, while grandma's is hard and melts in your mouth!
Grandma kept a stack of 3x5 note cards in a box to the left of her sink where she stored all of her recipes. The funny thing about that is I do the same thing, only on random pieces of paper and I keep them in a cabinet with all the spices! Just thinking about it now, but that is one thing grandma and I have in common! Where grandma's note cards went after she passed, I do not know, but I was determined to make her fudge today!
I called my dad and asked him about it, who told me to call my aunt Marcia. She gave me some good advice and even told me that she has attempted it with no luck, which made me set out to make it even more today! My dad and Marcia both said that my grandma always said it was the recipe on the Hershey's Cocoa can. Of course they don't have that recipe on the can anymore, but, with help from the
Internet I found it! It is funny, but I was feeling all of this crazy pressure to get it just right, especially since no one else could do it beside grandma so far! To my surprise, I did it! I thought that it would take me several tries before I could get it right, but first time was a charm!
Kyan was a good sport and got his hands dirty (and lots of measuring spoons/cups) to make her fudge! This is a recipe that hopefully I can teach my kids to make and one day my grandchildren! Then I will be the granny that everyone remembers!
Kyan stirring, and stirring, and stirring - you can't leave this cast iron skillet for a second!
This is
definitely not for those healthy eaters, if you are one...LOOK AWAY!
A candy thermometer, something that I think you NEED if you make this! Thanks Marcia for the strong encouragement to get it! Just don't get the soft ball thing yet?!
Done and done! My dad doesn't believe me, but it really does taste like grandma's!
Want to make this fudge? Here is the recipe:
Old Fashioned Hard Fudge
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Line 8 or 9 inch square pan with foil; butter foil. In a large heavy saucepan stir together first three ingredients; stir in milk, with a wooden spoon*. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Boil
without stirring, to 234 degrees F. on a candy thermometer (or until syrup, when dropped in very cold water forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water.) Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR.
Cool at room temperature to 110 degrees F. (lukewarm). Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens and loses some of its gloss (this could be anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
Quicikly spread into prepared pan; cool. You can store fudge in loosely wrapped wax/butter foil in the refrigerator.
*It is very important not to u
se a wire whisk or anything like that. Also just stir gently, even though the cocoa will stay floating on top. It will
mix in as the mixture heats up.
*Also, make sure you use a cast iron pan/skillet, something to do with the way that it keeps the fudge cooking, even off the heat!
ENJOY!
For Christmas this year we got family bikes - or money to get family bikes from Chad's dad! I finally got mine on Saturday, along with the wagon to hitch Lola in! I was a little worried about that wagon and my balance and just something tailing me in general, but I couldn't even tell that it was there! Although I do feel a little wicked witch of the west at times, I think I love my bike the most! THANK YOU GRANDPA B! We LOVE them! Kyan and I took a little ride together while Lola was taking her nap and then we took a family bike ride to the park when she woke up! The kids played for about 30 minutes before we headed home! Can't wait to go ride again tomorrow!
