Chocolate University Online Blog
Whenever we hear the word “fudge”, the soft chocolate squares we all love suddenly come into mind.
Chocolate fudge was reputably invented by an American confectioner in Baltimore, Maryland who mixed soft chocolate with caramel by accident and the rest, as they say, is history. Some people beg to disagree though as they strongly believe that fudge was a British invention. According to them, there are some variations of fudge found in the British midlands and Scotland. Nevertheless, even the best of the best British confectioners admit that chocolate fudge is indeed an American invention.
Fudge can be used both as a main or auxiliary ingredient in certain confections such as fudge-filled candies, fudge-filled cakes as well as cakes made with fudge, among so many other mouthwatering desserts.
Whether you are a chocoholic or simply enjoy chocolate, chocolate fudge can surely make for a good chocolaty treat.
Chocolate Fudge
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 7 ounces marshmallow crème
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
Line 9-inch square or 13×9-inch pan with foil so that foil extends over sides of pan; butter foil. In large saucepan, combine sugar, margarine and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add marshmallow crème and chocolate chips; blend until smooth. Stir in walnuts and vanilla. Pour into buttered, foil-lined pan. Cool to room temperature. Score fudge into 36-48 squares. Refrigerate until firm.
Remove fudge from pan by lifting foil; remove foil from sides of fudge. Using large knife, cut through scored lines. Store in refrigerator. |
Enjoy!
Categories: chocolate recipes
Tags: chocolate dessert, favorite food, fudge, snacking
The brownie, one of the most loved baked treat, was believed to be “invented” in America. Some references imply that brownies were originally made in New England at the beginning of the 20th century. Albeit the facts that it is basically cake-like and baked in a cake pan, brownies are considered as bar cookies rather than a cake.
Brownies can either be “cake-style” or “fudge-style”. Cake-style is that with the consistency of a cake, only richer and denser. On the other hand, fudge-style is more like, er, fudge than cake. It is the richer, denser, and creamier version of the brownie. What determines the style of brownie is the ratio of flour to chocolate and/or cocoa.
I hate to state the obvious but it’s apparent brownie derived its name from its dark brown color. But just like almost any food, the origin of the “brownie” is covered in myth. One of the legends told is that a chef added melted chocolate to biscuits by mistake. Another one states that a cook was baking a cake but didn’t have enough flour and baked it anyway, thus, making a brownie.
The most famous legend, however, says a housewife in Bangor, Maine, who was making a chocolate cake, failed to add baking powder. When the cake didn’t rise, she just cut it and served pieces of the flat cake.
Several tales indicate that the first known published recipe appeared in the Sears, Roebuck Catalogue in 1897, but that was a recipe for a molasses candy only called brownies. Nowadays, brownies are baked with either cocoa or melted chocolate or a combination of both.
Although the first few brownie recipes were published and modification to it started in the beginning of the 20th century, it wasn’t until the 1920s that brownies became a darling in the department of baked chocolate treats, and it never ceased.
Categories: chocolate education, fun chocolate facts
Tags: brownies, cake, chocolate cake, chocolate history, fudge, invent
Do you remember the slogan for an old commercial that had people taking sides on tacos? Some would say, “I like making it!” and others would say, “I like eating it!” If you are over 40 and grew up in the U.S., I’ll bet you remember.
When it comes to fudge, most people would say they like eating it way more than they like making it!
Making fudge is tiresome, tedious work that often ends with unsatisfactory results. Fudge has to be cooked at a high temperature then cooled while stirred constantly or the sugar will crystallize into a gritty mess.
So, with patience and a gastronomic aptitude one can achieve great fudge. That is why I like eating it. I don’t possess either one of those fudge making qualities.
Aunt Belle’s Chocolate Fudge (Walker, Minnesota) is what fudge ought to be; smooth and creamy and full of flavor. I think the majority of people love fudge because it is sweet and tolerates just about any flavor you mix into it.
I counted ten varieties of fudge offered by Aunt Belle’s. The menu reminded me of ordering in an ice cream shop with Chocolate Walnut, Peppermint, Mint, and Butter Pecan. There are some unusual selections like Pumpkin, Maple, and White Russian.
My son and I shared a slice of chocolate fudge while we walked around the quaint downtown shopping district of Walker. The chocolate was mild but flavorful and balanced in spite of the strong sweetness. Most importantly, the texture was velvety soft. So while I reported disappointment with Aunt Belle’s Bear Paw, I was quite pleased with the fudge.
Fudge has an interesting history. The best information I found is an article called The Origin of Fudge at a great website called The Nibble. Read that article to learn more about fudge in general.
Categories: chocolate review
Tags: Aunt Belle's, fudge, milk chocolate
Early Spanish explorers named the tropical island coconut after the animal it resembled. Coco means “monkey face.”
Did you know that the coconut provides a nutritious (and delicious!) source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals? It is one of those “functional foods” I’ve talked about in previous blogs.
Coconut oil has a bad reputation of being a “bad” fat, but in reality it is not. Coconut oil is saturated, but it does not contain trans fats.
Many Pacific Islanders consider coconut oil to be a treatment for many illnesses. The coconut palm has been highly valued through out history and is often called “The Tree of Life.”
In my opinion, chocolate and coconut taste great together. Enjoy this recipe and share with family and friends during the holiday season!
Coconut Fudge Balls
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 7 ounces or more coconut, dried and sweetened
Melt chocolate then continue to heat on low setting and slowly add milk. Mix well. Stir in sugar and nuts. Chill 1/2 hour.
Roll into balls. Roll balls in the coconut. Chill and serve. |
Enjoy!
Categories: chocolate recipes
Tags: coconut, fudge
Summer time is ice cream time – with hot fudge sauce of course!
Wow – it seems there are about as many different recipes for hot fudge sauce as there are types of ice cream to put them on.
From what I can tell (after reviewing many recipes) hot fudge sauce is different from ordinary chocolate sauce in that it’s really a chocolate fudge that never sets. Cream or milk, sugar, and butter are boiled until thickened so that it gets nice and gooey.
I wonder if the first hot fudge sauce was simply a fudge failure?
Fudge making appeared on the scene in American history in the late 19th century. At some point, people began to deliberately make under-cooked fudge and serve it warm over ice cream.
Here are two hot fudge sauce recipes for your eating pleasure. Enjoy!
Hot Fudge Sauce
1/4 cup butter
3 cups sugar
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 tsp salt
1 can evaporated milk
Melt butter and chocolate, then add sugar and salt. Slowly add milk and bring to a rolling boil until thickened. Serve warm over vanilla ice cream.
Microwave Hot Fudge Sauce
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
Mix sugar and cocoa and milk. Stir. Bring to a boil in the microwave. Add butter and continue to boil until butter is completely melted. Serve warm over ice cream. |
Categories: chocolate recipes
Tags: chocolate history, fudge, ice cream, nostalgia
|
