Monthly Archives: December 2016

Day Two- Suzanne’s Table Twelve Days of Cookies: Chocolate Fudge

12 Monday Dec 2016

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My original plan was twelve days of cookies, but when I think back to the memories of Christmas’s past, my grandmother’s cookies trays were filled with not only baked goodies but also pieces of my mom’s chocolate and peanut butter fudge.  I will be sharing the peanut butter recipe in a few days.

There are many versions of chocolate fudge out there, I have tried a few, but my favorite is mom’s, I have the most success with her recipe. In her cookbook, it is called Chocolate Fudge-Mamie Eisenhower.  However after a google search, examining many of the Mamie Eisenhower fudge recipes available, mom’s has a few variations from the others. The biggest difference, the recipe I have uses only one type of chocolate instead of two like the other versions call for.

One of the favorite things about my mom’s cookbook are the special footnotes she had placed by some of the recipes.  It brings back memories of  family dinners and holiday’s past.  As I was making this batch, I could see it so clearly, like it was yesterday, my mom and dad standing side by side, working together in the kitchen.  While making this recent batch I learned the reason why my dad was probably there to assist her. As I was getting ready to transfer my hot fudge into the pan to cool, it was quite heavy and I had to call my husband to help me. For some reason, this simple process made me feel closer to my parents.

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Now to make the Chocolate Fudge…..

Before I start cooking, I prepare my cooling pan by greasing a pan with butter.

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Next combine sugar, butter, and milk in a large saucepan.  Cooking over moderate heat, bring it to a boil and let boil stirring constantly for 7 minutes

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Remove from heat, add in remaining ingredient until all mixed and dissolved

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Pour into your buttered pan and chill until firm

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Chocolate Fudge-Mamie Eisenhower

Makes about 5 pounds

4 ½ cups white sugar

1 can evaporated milk

1-pint marshmallow fluff

½ lb butter or margarine

18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Combine sugar, milk, and butter in a saucepan.  Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Once mixture comes to a boil, let it boil for 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and immediately add chocolate chips and marshmallow fluff and nuts.  Stir mixture until fluff dissolves.  Pour into buttered pan and chill until firm

Day One- Suzanne’s Table Twelve Days of Cookies: Milk Chocolate Toffee Squares

07 Wednesday Dec 2016

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Today I bring to you one of my all-time favorites, Milk Chocolate Toffee Squares.  If I let myself,  I would eat the entire pan in one sitting. The cookie has a shortbread consistency, it is rich and buttery, then it is smothered  with melted milk chocolate, making it amazing.  They aren’t fancy or a decorative cookie, but they taste delicious. You can also sprinkle chopped nuts over the top, but I have been sending my creations to friends and family and I worry about nut allergies.

This one is simple, you start by creaming together butter, brown sugar, an egg yolk and vanilla.  Then add the flour and salt.

Once you mix all the ingredients together, form it into a ball and place on baking sheet.

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Working from the center out, use the palm of your hand to create a rectangle, then place in oven and bake.

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Don’t worry about the indentations, the chocolate covers them!

 

As soon as you remove from oven, pour chocolate pieces over the top and spread around until melted.

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Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes and then cut into squares, it can be quite messy, as the chocolate is still warm.

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Toffee Squares

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

16 ounces of milk chocolate chips

½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Gradually add flour and salt, mix until dough is well blended.  Spread on baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch all around edges.  Rectangle should measure approximately 13” x 10” Bake 20-25 minutes until nicely brown, remove from oven and pour chocolate chips over the top, let stand for about a minute, until soft and spread evenly over entire surface, sprinkle with nuts if you choose to use them.  Let cool for about 5 minutes and cut into squares while still warm. The recipe makes about 36 squares.

Aunt Effie the Cookie Lady

05 Monday Dec 2016

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We moved into the house I grew up in on my 7th birthday. My maternal grandmother just retired from working at Michigan State University, where she had worked as an accountant. My parents built her an apartment into our home and it was in that kitchen that my grandmother Effie started a cookie business. She was known as Aunt Effie the Cookie Lady. People could buy a monthly subscription, in return, they would receive 2 dozen cookies per month. I don’t think my grandmother saw herself as starting a cookie empire like Mrs. Fields, she just loved to bake and my sister and I were her official taste testers. In addition to the cookie business, over the holidays, she would bake 100’s of cookies every year for our family and friends.

I was my grandmother’s shadow, it’s because of her that I love to bake. When I make chocolate crinkles or butterscotch toffee squares I am carried back to her kitchen impatiently standing next to the oven waiting for a hot fresh cookie. When I moved into my first apartment, I brought her rolling pin with me hoping her baking magic would guide me as I rolled out my pastry dough.

Obviously, she didn’t have the convenience of the internet to look up a recipe, besides the rolling pin, another thing I brought with me is her “go-to” cookie book. I love looking through it, there are notes such as “add this” or “skip that” and “my favorites” or “don’t make, horrible, why did they even publish this one.” Many of those favorites made their way into my mom’s cookbook.

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As you can see this book was put to good use, a good investment for only $2.95

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I guess she was concerned about making pretty cookies

I love the pages with comments

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One of my favorites!

In addition to cookies, she made bread, rolls, coffeecake, you name it, and she baked it. As the holiday’s approach, I think about not just her cookies, but her tarts as well. I would pay millions to have just one more of her mincemeat tarts. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting some of those family favorite cookies that made it into the cookbook, as well as a few of my favorites I have found over the past few years. My version of Suzanne’s Table’s 12 days of cookies, hopefully, you might get some ideas for your holiday baking.