M
y grandmother was a domestic goddess. She took homemaking to a whole new level and made it look effortless. So, it will come as no surprise that at my grandmother’s funeral a fudge story was included in her eulogy. My grandmother was a young girl during the great depression. Food was rationed and butter was a valuable commodity. One day my grandmother was questioned as to where the week’s rations of butter had gone. My grandmother was quick to boast that she had used the last pound of butter to make fudge. That was the beginning of a legendary candy maker, that I am proud to call my mentor. The patience that great woman possessed resulted in smooth, never grainy fudge perfection.
My grandmother would turn in her grave if she knew I was sharing a cheaters fudge recipe that involves using marshmallow creme. My grandmother did not take shortcuts when making fudge. Her recipe, however, is NOT for beginners or the novice fudge maker. By adding marshmallow creme to the fudge mixture you coat the sugar crystals, keeping them nice and small. Small sugar crystals equate to smooth non-grainy fudge. I have over the years tampered with versions of marshmallow creme fudge recipes, adding more and more butter until I created a version as rich as my grandmother’s original.
I can definitely see how I am genetically related to a woman who honestly felt the last pound of butter she had should be used to create fudge. However, in this busy modern world…I think we all deserve to cheat a little. Enjoy this recipe as the perfect compromise between classic hand-turned flavor and modern-day convenience!
Baking began early this morning as Thanksgiving is less than a week away. I asked Kennedy to go to the basement and grab a bag of dry beans. Why…do you need beans? Are you going to blind bake your pie? I looked at her a little shocked. How do you know what a blind bake is, I asked. Mom, I watch The Great British Baking Show. I laughed and tried to call her bluff. What temperature should the oven be set for a blind bake, I asked. Duh mom, 400° or 350° if your ovens because they are convection. I laughed so hard I cried a little.
watching The Great British Baking Show. Blind baking is baking or partially baking the pie crust before pouring in pie filling to ensure a flaky crust. Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know this…my husband walked in the kitchen while I was preparing to blind bake the shell and said, “what-cha making hun…a bean pie”? You can tell who shares my DNA and who doesn’t.
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