I've always loved this time of year, and everything that goes along with it and when my boys (now 18 & 21) were little I used to bake up a storm every year beginning just after Halloween. I made butter cookies with frosting and sprinkles, snowball cookies, cream cheese cookies, mini-cranberry, pumpkin, banana and blueberry breads, cheesecakes, butterscotch clusters, fudge and rocky road candy, just to name a few.
The boys would help with the prep and with packaging a variety of the goodies to give to neighbors, teachers, friends and family. It was quite the production and very time-consuming.
In recent years the list of goodies I make has dwindled significantly. The only two that have survived are the fudge and the rocky road candy. Why? Well...for two reasons...they're super simple and quick and they're incredibly yummy.
My oldest son moved to California back in Aug. '07, and I haven't seen him since. He flies in tomorrow night for the holidays. I couldn't be more thrilled. I can't wait to see him, to wrap my arms around him and give him a hug. That's not what he's thinking about however. He's thinking about fudge and rocky road candy.
In fact, the first thing he said when I told him I'd booked his ticket was not about how much he was looking forward to seeing me, or his dad, or his brother, or even his friends. He said, "You know you're going to have to make fudge and rocky road candy."
In fact, at one point last week, I told him I thought I might have lost the fudge recipe. His reply? "I will have to kick your ass if you don't find it! That is the BEST fudge EVER." He was laughing as he said it and he'd no doubt have forgiven me had I lost it, but for him, it's become one of those holiday traditions that he looks forward to, and has missed, since he moved. Thankfully, I found it.
I can't claim that the fudge recipe is an old family recipe handed down for generations. It's a recipe I stumbled upon and decided to try 15 years ago and it's become a family favorite. As for the rocky road candy... it has been a family holiday tradition since I was a kid. My mom made it every year. Where she got the recipe I have no idea, and I'd be surprised if she even remembers now.
I love good food of all kinds, and I love to bake and cook, and while I'm willing to give a complex recipe a try when I have the time and energy, my favorite recipes are those that are quick and simple, yet really delicious.
I've never understood why some people refuse to share a great recipe. To my mind, a great recipe is not something to horde. The more people that can enjoy it the better. It occurred to me yesterday as I was buying all the goodies that go into these two recipes, that I could share them here as my holiday gift and way of saying thank you to all of you fabulous peeps.
Granted, it's a bit last minute...but that's the beauty of these two recipes. You can whip up a batch of each in less than 20 minutes. And...(I love this part)...unlike many candy recipes, neither of these requires that you be proficient with a candy thermometer. (Something that always sounded like more trouble than I wanted to bother with.)
I can't begin to compete with the Pioneer Woman of The Pioneer Woman Cooks blog (hands-down my favorite cooking blog and chock full of other great holiday recipes), so you'll have to do without the gorgeous step-by-step photos, but these are so simple you'll do just fine without them.
Here we go...
Chocolate Fudge
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- Dash salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Put the chocolate chips and the sweetened condensed milk in a heavy saucepan and melt the chips slowly over low heat. Stirring often. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Blend and pour into an 8 x 8 pan lined with foil. Place in refrigerator to chill. (Once the fudge is slightly chilled and set, you can lift it out of the pan with the foil to make the next batch.)
You can make this fudge with any combination of chocolate chips, depending on your preference and peppermint extract can be substituted for the vanilla for a twist on the traditional recipe. And, if you must, you can add walnuts. Personally, I think adding walnuts ruins perfectly good fudge. : )
Rocky Road Candy
Now, don't let the name fool you...I'm not a fan of Rocky Road ice cream and in fact, I'm not much of a fan of marshmallows, but trust me when I say this particular combination is to die for! Mmmm....
- 1 pkg. (12. oz.) of semi-sweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate chips are delish too - whichever you prefer)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 3 cups mini-marshmallows
- 1 cup peanuts
In a large bowl combine the marshmallows and peanuts and set aside. Combine the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a heavy saucepan and melt slowly over low heat. Stir till blended and remove from heat. Pour the chocolate mixture over the peanuts and marshmallows and mix well. Spread in an 8 x 8 square pan lined with foil and chill till firm. (Once the candy is slightly chilled and set, you can lift it out of the pan with the foil to make the next batch.)
Yup, they're really that simple, and even better, virtually foolproof. I'll be making a half dozen batches of each in all of two hours sometime over the next couple of days. Give 'em a try and be sure to let me know what you think.
Happy Holidays!
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