tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post3068529378456292664..comments2024-03-15T01:11:32.832-07:00Comments on Bardiac: Fudge FolliesBardiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11846065504793800266noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-40228607089081311622010-01-12T13:13:49.184-08:002010-01-12T13:13:49.184-08:00I have a good friend who lives your philosophy wit...I have a good friend who lives your philosophy with almost everything (frosting cupcakes, making chocolate-dipped strawberries, lighting fires!) - even with kids who aren't hers, i.e., my boys. I have a tendency to be more like your mom, but every time I'm with my friend I resolve to learn the patience she shows. Good luck with the fudge!<br />AArtemishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15321501062140234923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-56114638549349634282010-01-11T13:30:45.941-08:002010-01-11T13:30:45.941-08:00I agree with your theory of kids and cooking, too....I agree with your theory of kids and cooking, too. I learned from my mother, who taught me to treat a recipe as a list of suggested ingredients and processes, and so we never worried if things turned out differently each time. And to a point I think your theory works for kids and everything else, too--focus on instilling enjoyment first, and then worry about discipline and cleanup. Too many of us grow up afraid to try anything new because we might mess it up, when we should enjoy the mess even while we learn to be cleaner.richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-68804408511457089322010-01-10T17:11:11.881-08:002010-01-10T17:11:11.881-08:00i love your theory of cooking with kids, and can t...i love your theory of cooking with kids, and can testify that it works. the rule also applies for grownups.<br /><br />my kids had a wonderful art teacher, who always told her students, "there are no mess-ups in art." she did not want them to expect perfection of themselves, but to experiment a little with techniques, and to work their way through any problems they encountered. not a bad philosophy for cooking, or for many other things in life.kathy a.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14479337952651746193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-70256867804348540922010-01-10T11:35:46.544-08:002010-01-10T11:35:46.544-08:00Fudge is a fickle bitch, as far as I can tell.
I ...Fudge is a fickle bitch, as far as I can tell.<br /><br />I have been making fudge with my mother since I was a wee thing, and I still manage to cock it up with alarming regularity.<br /><br />Fortunately she never seemed to mind too much. And fortunately, it would screw up for her, too (but never so frequently).<br /><br />Still, you're dead on - It always tastes good, whatever the consistency.M. Paulehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08925739628467279898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-46341182102503278982010-01-09T18:02:56.385-08:002010-01-09T18:02:56.385-08:00Your mom as expert reminded me of a little inciden...Your mom as expert reminded me of a little incident over Christmas; mom and various sibs were visiting and had brought cookies to be frosted, so the boys and my Eldest Sib commenced making frosting. It was quite the event, and quite messy. Frosting sugar spewed all over the kitchen floor at one point, and then had to be swept up and the floor scrubbed, but the guilty party cleaned up without complaining. <br /><br />My mom was getting more and more bothered by the mess and rowdiness that was going on and was getting more pissed off by the minute. I finally pulled her aside and told her, "Hey, it's okay, they're little kids, of course they're going to make a mess. But look how much fun they're having!" And they were laughing uproariously at the time. She took a deep breath and shut her mouth. I was amazed, honestly, both that I actually said something and that she pulled back and decided to let it go. She would never have let us be that rowdy and rambunctious as kids, so maybe she's mellowing a bit. (I will say, though, that it's hard to imagine your mom backing out.) ;)Becketthttp://www.artbeco.etsy.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-35343452499997212872010-01-09T14:27:55.830-08:002010-01-09T14:27:55.830-08:00One of my boyfriends told me about the time he and...One of my boyfriends told me about the time he and his dad made fudge. They burned out TWO of his mother's electric mixers before having the brilliant idea of attaching the mixing implements to a power drill.Victoriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16601902091484978157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-50896045536535157212010-01-09T13:15:23.177-08:002010-01-09T13:15:23.177-08:00My fudge is often too soft too, but my recipe (oka...My fudge is often too soft too, but my recipe (okay, the recipe from an exboyfriend that I pass off as my own as an Earnest "tradition") says to "let stand in buttered pans for 24 hours to ripen."<br /><br />Now, this does not mean I don't eat a ton of it anyway, but it does harden up a little (not always enough) in the ripening process. So it gets that nice hardish fudgething on the outside while the inside is ooh so delectable! You might try that. And then, of course, let us know how it goes!Earnest Englishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01947000435270263070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-884090560797176312010-01-09T13:00:40.021-08:002010-01-09T13:00:40.021-08:00Your perseverance to make good fudge your own way ...Your perseverance to make good fudge your own way is inspiring. I had the same sort of "no-that's-wrong-this-is-how-you-do-it" cooking experiences with my family, and it is probably the very reason that I loath cooking. Fortunately, my husband is a great cook. Unfortunately, he doesn't have time to cook (full-time job, plus doing freelance on the side). So we eat out a lot. It's not only bad for the pocket book, but also bad for the waist line. One new year's resolution of ours is to try to eat at home more. I think I'm going to have to spearhead that effort if it's going to work. So I will take a little inspiration from your perseverance and try, try again. But I'll be cooking chicken or something instead of fudge. Fudge for dinner DOES sound tempting though...Fie upon this quiet life!https://www.blogger.com/profile/12047096700049201873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-69136285483847882392010-01-09T10:49:42.277-08:002010-01-09T10:49:42.277-08:00My mom makes great fudge too, and finally she conf...My mom makes great fudge too, and finally she confessed to me that it was a microwave recipe. Here's the recipe:<br />1 (12 oz.) pkg. milk chocolate chips<br />1 can sweetened condensed milk<br />1 tsp. vanilla<br />1 c. walnuts or pecans (optional)<br />8x8x2 inch pan lined with wax paper<br /><br />Spray large microwave bowl with Pam. Add chips and milk. Heat in microwave for 2-2 1/2 minutes. Stir melted chips together plus 1 teaspoon vanilla. After smooth add nuts. Then pour this mixture into wax paper lined 8 x 8 x 2 inch pan. Cool in refrigerator for 1 hour. Cut into small pieces for serving. Keep well covered so the fudge will not dry out.Kendra Leonardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08887455908288484306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-50145645395086596222010-01-09T10:02:13.962-08:002010-01-09T10:02:13.962-08:00Fudge is one of the more difficult things to make-...Fudge is one of the more difficult things to make-I've actally never had great homemade fudge.either the sugar isn't dissolved enough or it's too soft. Always tastes delish though.<br /><br />I Luke what you say about kids and cooking. I find it hard to just let my kids do it themsleves qhen I am with them in the kitchen. Better to leave the room and let them do it on their own. that's how I learned.Margaret Polaneczky, MD (aka TBTAM)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16555722791007332247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-41037437081126109312010-01-09T07:04:46.103-08:002010-01-09T07:04:46.103-08:00I don't cook fudge, but I do jams, and my beco...I don't cook fudge, but I do jams, and my become more ice cream toppings when I get impatient and take them off the stove too quickly. But if it tastes good, why complain?Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09716705206734059708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-1854684980541163052010-01-09T06:46:58.654-08:002010-01-09T06:46:58.654-08:00There is no better fudge in the world than spoon-f...There is no better fudge in the world than spoon-fudge; ergo, you're doing it right.Mrs. Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00398436173535554878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-6664320057240234752010-01-08T22:37:23.831-08:002010-01-08T22:37:23.831-08:00In my experience, the secret to really awesome con...In my experience, the secret to really awesome consistency in fudge is high fat. The higher the fat, the more chance it will turn out neither too hard nor too soft. This means using cream instead of milk and chocolate instead of cocoa. Added butter and/or peanut butter (at the beating stage) helps too.<br /><br />Not that I want to do the comments equivalent of taking the spoon off you and telling you you're doing it wrong, of course :)StyleyGeekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10287051608503966129noreply@blogger.com