Christmas Treats to Give and Eat - Part Three

Christmas memories often revolve around food and, for me, that food is fudge. My mom wasn't a big baker, but every Christmas she made fudge. 

Her go-to recipe was the one on the back of the Kraft Marshmallow Cream jar. So, naturally, that's the same recipe I use. However, several years ago I began to notice that my fudge wasn't turning out the same. It wasn't as creamy and seemed rather grainy. I couldn't figure it out. I bought the same marshmallow cream every year and used the recipe that was on the back. 

Then, when we were preparing to move back in 2017, I was going through my mom's recipe file when I stumbled upon the yellowed recipe she'd cut off of the back of a jar of marshmallow cream. I compared it with the recipe on the back of a jar I had in the pantry and while it looked pretty much the same, I discovered one subtle change. While both recipes called for a small can of evaporated milk, Mom's old recipe said it was a 6 oz can, while my newer version referred to it as a 5 oz can.

Somewhere along the way the manufacturers of evaporated milk changed to size of the small can from 6 to 5 ounces, yet the recipe stayed the same. Who would have thought that one ounce could make so much difference? Obviously not the manufacturers of both products. But I grew up on Fantasy Fudge. I knew what it was supposed to taste like, how the texture should be. So, here is the recipe for REAL Fantasy Fudge.

• 3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine (Mom always used margarine, I use butter)
• 6 oz. evaporated milk
• 1 12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 7 oz jar marshmallow cream
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

First thing you'll want to do is line a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil. This is so you can lift the fudge out of the pan after it's cooled, for easier cutting. Now spray that foil with some non-stick spray and set aside.

Melt your butter or margarine over medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan at least 3 quarts in size.

Once the butter is melted, add your sugar and 6 ounces of evaporated milk.

Stir that all together and continue to cook and stir until it comes to a boil.

Once it boils, keep stirring and cook for approximately 5-7 minutes, until mixture reaches soft ball stage on a candy thermometer.

What's that, you don't have a candy thermometer? Not to worry. We didn't have one when I was growing up, so I learned to do it old school.

Drizzle a small amount of the boiling mixture into a cup of cold water.

Now stick your fingers in there and see if you can form the mixture into a soft ball. If not, keep cooking, testing every minute or so.

This is what you should end up with.

Perfect! And if you pop said soft ball into your mouth, you will be a very happy camper. Just sayin'.

Once your mixture has reached the soft ball stage, remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate chips.

Stir until melted, then add your marshmallow cream.

This takes a little longer to stir in than the chocolate chips, because you need to make sure all the little lumps are gone and the mixture is nice and smooth.

Now add your vanilla and stir to mix.

And finally, if you're using nuts (I prefer pecans), add them.

Mix those in and your mixture should look like this.

Pour into your prepared pan and set aside to cool for at least a couple of hours. Do not refrigerate until completely cooled.

When the fudge is cooled and set, remove foil/fudge from pan and cut into squares.

Now that's Fantasy Fudge done right. Creamy and delicious. And perfect for sharing with others.

Have you ever tried to duplicate a recipe from your childhood and found that it wasn't quite right? If so, what did you do?

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

Wintertime Surprises and Peanut Butter Fudge

One thing about living with a puppy is that they need to go outside. A lot.

Don't let that sweet face fool you. He eats, drinks, and sleeps...and then the inevitable happens!

Hubby and I take turns with the first walk of the morning. You know, the quick outside-to-do-the-business-before-breakfast walk. But it isn't a hardship. Just look at what greeted me on Saturday morning!

We woke up to freezing fog. And when fog freezes, it covers everything with hoarfrost.

Every surface is covered with delicate crystals of icy frost.

Each individual pine needle coated with white.

And the fog! When the fog is this thick, every familiar pathway is a mysterious road into an unknown world of fairy dust and unimaginable beauty.

Neighbors' houses disappear, and the mountains? They're gone.

But the birds appreciated our island of shelter and food in this sea of white! This goldfinch is a frequent visitor.

Doesn't this fog remind you of that Christmas Eve several years ago? The foggy Christmas Eve when Santa came to say, "Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Rudolph's redeeming moment! And his shiny nose has been glowing ever since!

Which brings me to the rest of this post. I shared this recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge a few years ago, and I'll be making this year's batch soon.

The best part about making Christmas goodies are the memories they bring to mind. Don't you think so? If we don't have memories of our own, we make some every time we share the sweets with our friends and neighbors.

Grandma's Peanut Butter Fudge

The recipe I'm going to share with you is one that I make every year, my Grandma's Peanut Butter Fudge.

Okay, okay. I have a confession to make. This isn't Grandma's Fudge. Her recipe is from the Great Depression era, and lacks.... um.... richness.

I learned a lot from Grandma.

1) She could get more pies out of a batch of piecrust than was strictly legal, rolling the dough so thin it was nearly transparent.

2) She knew how to stretch leftovers to get three meals where anyone else would get two.

3) She knew how to lay out pattern pieces to use every inch of fabric when she made a dress.

Grandma (standing in the center) with her sisters and mother, 1964.

But when it comes to fudge...sorry, Grandma, but I had to fool with your recipe.

Even though I have changed this recipe enough to be unrecognizable, I still call it Grandma's. :)

Grandma's Peanut Butter Fudge

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 5-oz can evaporated milk
1 7-oz jar marshmallow cream
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy - your choice)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lightly grease a 9" x 9" baking dish and set aside.

Heat sugar, butter, milk and marshmallow cream in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until the mixture comes to a full boil, stirring constantly.

And yes, you read that right. In this recipe, the marshmallow cream goes in the first step, not the last.

Once the mixture comes to a full boil, continue cooking and stirring for five minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract, stirring until smooth and creamy.

Pour the fudge into the prepared dish. Cool, then cut into squares.

Peanut Butter Fudge and Chocolate Fudge...yum!

Back to the hoarfrost: We've lived in a lot of different places, and I've had people tell me that there is no such thing as hoarfrost. It's just something you read about in fairy tales. (I've learned to just smile and nod when someone insists that they're right about certain things...)

And then I offer proof... Hoarfrost Explained

How about you? Have you ever experienced or heard of hoarfrost before?

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com

Christmas Candies

The Christmas season is now in full swing. You know what that means. Time for parties and church/family gatherings. And that means it's candy making time.

All those gatherings are the perfect opportunity to break out those favorite candy recipes you make only during the holidays. Because let's face it, if you make it just to have at home, you're going to be the one eating it all. Well, I would be anyway. I have little restraint this time of year. 

Peanut Clusters are one of the first things I make every year. (recipe here)

They're super easy to make AND they freeze well. That means you can make them now and then simply thaw what you need as you need them. They're perfect for parties and gift-giving.

Another annual treat that freezes well is Peanut Butter Balls. (recipe here)

Also known as Buckeyes, these are reminiscent of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. You can find the recipe here, however I have made one minor change. Actually, one that makes things so much easier. Instead of melting a bit of paraffin into chocolate chips (very old-school), I simply use the melting wafers or coating chocolate. Both are made to coat and harden into a nice chocolatey shell.

My mom's favorite Fantasy Fudge is next. (Recipe can be found here)

This recipe has adorned the back label of Kraft Marshmallow Cream for as long as I can remember. However there was a slight change somewhere along the way. The recipe has always called for a small can of evaporated milk. But for some reason, the makers of evaporated milk changed the amount in the can from 6 ounces to only 5 ounces. And because of that, my beloved fudge just wasn't the same. It wasn't until I stumbled across the original recipe my mom had cut off of the back of a jar many, many years ago that I discovered the problem. So, don't buy the small can of evaporated milk. Do yourself a favor and get the larger can and measure out a full 6 ounces.

Trust me on this one. That one little ounce of evaporated milk makes all the difference.

Another confectionary treat that's perfect for both young and old is Dipped Pretzel Rods, (Tutorial here)

Their sweet/salty mix makes them a delicious treat. And you can add sprinkles or drizzle them with those colored candy wafers you find by the cake decorating supplies to make them extra festive.

My final favorite chocolatey Christmas treats are Pretzel Turtles. (Recipe here)

Like the Dipped Pretzels, these Pretzel Turtles require no baking skills. All you need to do is assemble. But your patience will be rewarded with a very tasty treat that will wow your friends and family. 

That's my lineup of holiday candies. What are some of your favorite Christmas candies to share?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.

Christmas Candy Traditions - Fantasy Fudge

My mom was not a big baker, but she loved her sweets. As evidenced by her numerous recipe files, where most off of the tabs designating Appetizers, Main Dishes and Side Dishes were empty, while the ones that read Cakes, Pies and Desserts were stuffed full. Granted, she never made most of the recipes, but when the holidays rolled around, there was always one thing Mom was guaranteed to make.

Fudge was, and still is, her absolute favorite Christmas treat. And I couldn't imagine the holidays without it. Yet, as I've shared with you before, I ran into a problem with her Fantasy Fudge recipe several years ago. I made it the same way, but it just wasn't as creamy. It wasn't right. 

Then I stumbled upon the greasy, yellowed recipe she'd cut off of the back of a jar of marshmallow cream all those years ago and, with a little research, I figured out the problem. Now I feel it my duty to reveal the truth to everyone like me who grew up eating Fantasy Fudge, only to be disappointed with the results from the recipe on today's jars of marshmallow cream.

 

You see, back in the day, a small can of evaporated milk contained 6 ounces. Yet somewhere along the way, the manufacturers changed the amount to 5 ounces. And even though it's an ounce smaller, the recipe for Fantasy Fudge on the backs of marshmallow cream jars still call for a small (5 ounce) can of evaporated milk. For people like me who relive memories every time they bite into a piece of fudge, that's just not right. 

So for all of you who grew up celebrating the holidays with Fantasy Fudge, here's the real Fantasy Fudge Recipe we all remember.

• 3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup margarine (I use butter)
• 6 oz. evaporated milk
• 1 12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 7 oz jar marshmallow cream
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

First thing you'll want to do is line a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil. This is so you can lift the fudge out of the pan after it's cooled, for easier cutting.

Now spray that foil with some non-stick spray and set aside.

Melt your butter or margarine over medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan at least 3 quarts in size.

Once the butter is melted, add your sugar and 6 ounces of evaporated milk. Yes, buy the big can and store the unused portion in a mason jar or other sealed container in the fridge and use it in your next batch of mashed potatoes.

Stir that all together and continue to cook and stir until it comes to a boil.

Once it boils, keep stirring and cook for approximately 5-7 minutes, until mixture reaches soft ball stage on a candy thermometer.

What's that, you don't have a candy thermometer

Not to worry. We didn't have one when I was growing up, so I learned to do it old school.

Drizzle a small amount of the boiling mixture into a cup of cold water.

Now stick your fingers in there and see if you can form the mixture into a soft ball. If not, keep cooking, testing every minute or so.

This is what you should end up with.

Perfect!

And if you pop said soft ball into your mouth, you will be a very happy camper. Just sayin'.

So once your mixture has reached the soft ball stage, remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate chips.

Stir until melted, then add your marshmallow cream.

This takes a little longer to stir in than the chocolate chips, because you need to make sure all the little lumps are gone and the mixture is nice and smooth.

Once it is smooth, add your vanilla and stir to mix.

And finally, if you're adding nuts (I prefer pecans), now's the time to do that.

Stir those in and your mixture should look like this.

Pour into your prepared pan and set aside to cool for at least a couple of hours. 

Do not refrigerate until completely cooled.

When the fudge is cooled and set, remove foil/fudge from pan and cut into squares.

Sorry, my lighting must have been a bit off, because these look much lighter than they really are. There were still dark, like the previous pic of the pan. Either way, the fudge is creamy and oh-so delicious. Just like Mom used to make.

And that makes me very happy.

Have you ever had a cherished recipe from your childhood that wasn't quite as good as you remembered? When you think of the holidays, what foods come to mind? What appeared in your kitchen during every holiday season?

Three-time Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com