Domestic Destination: Dominating the holiday treats
I won’t lie, I hate the holiday treat season for selfish reasons. I fear having to spend a month eating stale, over-frosted cookies and hard sugary fudge that I didn’t make myself. It really does take a toll on me. But I also know that people don’t have the time to sit in their industrial-sized kitchens and moon over a double boiler filled with artisan chocolates while listening to Bing Crosby in order to achieve Christmas treat nirvana.
I have created this holiday edition to save everyone from holiday treat nightmares so everyone can rest easy and know that this recipe is a crowdpleaser and deliver exquisite flavor and quality, if the directions are followed.
Holiday cooking can be stressful, especially if you are trying out new recipes that call for you to use ridiculous cooking wear that you have never heard of in your life, namely the double boiler. The double boiler tends to make people shy away from recipes that call for it, but fear not because there is an easy solution if you don’t own a double boiler. All you need is two pots of different sizes, but not by epic proportion. The bigger pot should be filled a little less than half way with water, while the smaller pot will rest on the water. Yes, if I actually invested in a double boiler life would be easier, but that is what getting married is for.
The question might be posed as to why one would need a double boiler, the answer is simple. When cooking heat-sensitive foods such as chocolate, sauces and syrups, putting them under direct heat ruins the consistency. Since boiling water rarely rises above 212-degrees Fahrenheit, using a double boiler allows chocolates and syrups to stay pliable without ruining them.
The double boiler is used in this recipe because it has to do with chocolate, fudge chocolate to be exact.
The name of this fudge is 15-minute Fudge and is from Cook’s Illustrated, one of the best cooking magazines out there in my opinion. The fudge really does take 15 minutes to make and is simple but doesn’t sacrifice any flavors. Make this your new Christmas fudge recipe, but save Great-Grandma’s recipe for nostalgic purposes and dominate during the holidays.
What you need:
- 16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped. (Ghiradellis is a good one to use. Go for a 50-60 percent cacao content)
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
- A double boiler or impromptu double boiler
- square baking pan lined with tin foil
Directions:
–Fill double boiler halfway with water and turn stove to medium-high heat.
–Once water begins to simmer, add all of the chocolate and stir constantly until all of it is melted.
–Once the chocolate is melted add vanilla, sweetened condensed milk and salt; stir till combined.
–Add the baking soda last. Once the baking soda is combined, remove from heat and add in walnuts.
–When the walnuts are mixed in transfer the fudge mixture to the baking tin and smooth it out so it is evenly distributed throughout the pan.
–Cover the pan and place in the refrigerator for two hours or until it is hard.
–When cutting the fudge, remove it from the pan by using the tin foil to pull it out and then cut it.
C. Ann Jensen is a senior majoring in print journalism. Questions or comments can be sent to her at ch.jensen@aggiemail.usu.edu