Nourishments—

Fudging On Health

By Nancy K. Crevier

“Oh, fudge” was one of my Aunt Helen’s favorite exclamations of exasperation, and it suited her to a T, for Aunt Helen was the queen of that confection in our family.

Every winter as the holidays drew near, out would come the pots and pans, candy thermometer, blocks of chocolate, and bags of sugar, heralding the arrival of delicious, smooth-as-silk, one-bite bits of fudge. As children, my two sisters and I watched from a respectful distance while the boiling sugar and chocolate bubbled on the stove under her watchful eye. Then, armed with a sturdy wooden spoon, Aunt Helen would vigorously beat the concoction until the grains of sugar cried “Uncle!” and submitted to being a part of the smooth and glossy mixture.

Half of the mixture would be blessed with the addition of chopped walnuts, the other half left plain, but she never tossed in any fancy-schmancy flavorings or exotic additions. The good chocolate flavor spoke for itself.

The dollops of fudge were then left to cool on sheets of waxed paper spread across every available surface, with just one piece granted for “quality control” to us bystanders (including my Uncle Ferd). Then she was on to her next mission, the perfecting of divinity, that meringue-based kissing-cousin confection of fudge, and the brown sugar delectable she called penuche.

Now the interesting thing about my aunt’s candy making, I always thought, was that Aunt Helen never licked a spoon, tested the batter, or tasted her own treats. Aunt Helen was a diabetic, and took her blood sugar control very seriously. But she did not look upon her inability to indulge in sugary treats as a reason for banishing sweets from her home or the lives of those she loved. Despite never sampling the pounds of fudge and divinity she cranked out every winter, she based her success on the approving sighs emitted by those lucky enough to receive one of her lovingly prepared baskets of candies and the swift rate at which the yummy treats disappeared.

Can fudge be considered a health food? The fat and sugar content probably made her fudge fall from the heart-healthy charts,  but if love is nourishing, then Aunt Helen’s fudge was a treasure trove of health.

My Aunt Helen passed on to the kitchen in the sky years ago, and my sister, Mary, became the keeper of the fudge recipes. The holidays are over, but the long winter days ahead offer the perfect opportunity to practice the art of candy making. Try your hand at a batch — but my sister recommends a few weeks preparation working out at the gym… you’ll see.

 

Aunt Helen’s Fudge

(formerly known as

“Howie’s Fudge”)

3 C white sugar

3 squares unsweetened chocolate

¾ C half-n-half

Dash of salt

½ C white corn syrup

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a heavy bottomed pan, to the softball stage (234 degrees on a candy thermometer).  When it reaches 234 degrees,  boil for 1½  minutes.

Remove pan from heat/burner and let cool for at least 2 hours.

Beat by hand with a thick wooden spoon until smooth and it loses it shine. Add walnuts, if desired, at this stage. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour, so be prepared to stir!

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Keep in a covered container; fudge can be refrigerated or (and this is how you know the recipe comes from the north country where I grew up) stored outside on a porch.

Personal note from my sister: “When I first did this fudge, it took forever to get it to the dull stage and I broke two spoons in the process.  I did not despair, and this Christmas I made 12 batches of fudge as gifts — my wrists ache!”

 

Aunt Helen’s Penuche

1½ C brown sugar

1½ C granulated sugar

¾ C half-n-half

Dash of salt

½ C corn syrup

Bring all ingredients to the soft ball stage (234 degrees) and boil for 1½ minutes.  Cool for at least two hours.  Beat until the candy turns a dull color and then add 1 C chopped walnuts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Store in a covered container.