When I first saw Pumpkin Fudge, I have to admit – I was skeptical.  My husband and I bought a square when we were visiting the Jersey shore last month – fudge is a traditional Jersey shore treat, and I figured what better new flavor to try in October than Pumpkin!  It felt a little like the first time I tried pumpkin ice cream, or pumpkin coffee, or frankly even pumpkin beer (more on that tomorrow!)  Some of these things I like a lot, and some are just not worth it.  Turns out Pumpkin Fudge is pretty darn delicious, and so when we decided to make a whole week of pumpkin posts here on Domestic Pursuits, I went searching for a recipe. 

This recipe I found via Brown Eyed Baker is remarkably similar to the recipe one finds on the back of a very popular marshmallow creme jar here in New England – being that it ‘never fails,’ I figured this was a good place to start – as I have never made fudge before in my life.   I have heard harrowing stories of people ending up with pots full of solidified gooey messy sugar, or fudges that sit for days and still don’t set up, and so fudge was always one of those treats I left for the professionals.  But, now that I’m 31 and have taught myself to cook a whole bunch of things that require precision temperature control (ie, pasteurizing my homemade ice creams) I figured I could handle fudge now.

This actually was quite easy – although I think a candy thermometer definitely helped this recipe come out right.  You can always use the method where you drop a small amount of whatever candy you’re cooking into cold water and figure out if it is a hard ball, or a soft ball, but I personally find that a bit cumbersome.   It also requires standing at your stove for about a half an hour – but that literally is all that’s required for the prep.  The only substitution I made really was to use slightly less brown sugar as all I had in my pantry was the dark brown variety, and I also used cinnamon and nutmeg rather than pumpkin pie spice, because I just have a thing against buying premade spice blends.  I also don’t really like nuts in fudge, so left those out.

Pumpkin Fudge – adapted via Brown Eyed Baker from Christmas Candy Recipes

• 2 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup butter
• 2/3 cup (or one 5-ounce can) evaporated milk
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 (7.5 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

First, prepare a 9×13 baking dish by lining it with foil and spraying with cooking spray.  Combine sugars, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin and spices in a medium saucepan.  Over medium heat, stirring continuously, bring the mixture to a rolling boil.  Continue to boil for 12-14 minutes stirring continuously until the mixture reaches the ‘soft ball’ stage which is 234-240 degrees farenheit on a candy thermometer.  (Alternatively, can you drop a small quantity into a glass of cold water and see what kind of ball it forms.  I recommend the thermometer method.)  Working quickly, stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, and vanilla.  Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.  Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours.  Refrigerate overnight before slicing for best results.  Enjoy!

Oh. My. Gosh.  This was amazing.  I have never had better hot fudge, seriously.  And I love me some hot fudge, so that’s saying something.  The perfect time arose for me to make this ’30 while 30‘ recipe when I was actually on my way to my co-blogger Beth’s house for dinner.  I offered to bring dessert – but it was just too darn hot to bake, so I thought ice cream sundaes would be the perfect sweet treat to end our evening.  I could have just stopped at the multiple grocery stores between our houses to pick up a jar of hot fudge – but where would the fun in that be?!  Instead, I decided to knock one more item off of my list and make it myself.  It took me about 10 minutes, start to finish – but if I don’t say so myself, tasted like I spent hours slaving over the stove with a candy thermometer.  Let me tell you friends – this recipe is about my favorite recipe ever.  It uses things most people (well, most insane blogging-bakers) have in their pantry – items such as cocoa powder, chopped chocolate (in my case, chocolate chips), and corn syrup.  Why stop and buy the mass-produced variety when in just 10 minutes you too can look like Ms. Betty Crocker herself!!

Homemade Hot Fudge

from: thatssoyummy.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces chocolate chips (or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped)
• 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cup into 1/2 Tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a heavy sauce pan, combine the cocoa, dark brown sugar, corn syrup, cream and salt, along with about half of the chocolate chips.  Heat over medium heat until the chocolate melts and the mixture appears smooth.  Cook for 5 minutes more at a low boil, remembering to stir intermittently so it doesn’t burn!  Remove from the heat, and stir in the remaining chocolate chips, the butter, and the vanilla.  Let cool slightly before serving.  Enjoy!

Selecting an ice cream that the whole family likes has always been a bit of a challenge when planning birthday celebrations. Some family members are fans of mix-in laden ice cream, while others are purists, preferring a rich vanilla or delicate mocha. Years ago, I went grocery shopping with my mother to pick up what we needed for my father?s birthday dinner. As I pulled a pint of Brigham?s Cookies and Cream ice cream from the freezer case, my mother stated ?Your brother doesn?t like cookies and cream.? I was not aware of this fact, but she insisted. So, I relented and we selected something different. Years later, upon observing me eating a bowl of cookies and cream ice cream, my brother remarked that he thought I disliked that particular flavor. Apparently, my mother told my brother that I didn?t like cookies and cream. It was totally inadvertent (she was convinced that somebody didn’t like it), but we now joke that it must have been that Mom just didn?t want cookies and cream.

In recent years, Edy?s Fudge Tracks (their version of the more well-known Moose Tracks) has become a family favorite. It has a rich vanilla base to satisfy the purists, and fun mix-ins to please those with slightly more adventurous tastes. To top it all off, the combination of vanilla, chocolate and peanut butter complements most cakes without overpowering them. Since I?ve been on a ice-cream making kick lately, I decided to concoct my own Moose Tracks for my father?s birthday celebration.

I selected a vanilla ice cream base from Proceed with Caution, and used a Fudge Ripple recipe found in David Lebovitz?s The Perfect Scoop. Chopped Reeses Peanut butter cups and chopped semi-sweet Ghiradelli chocolate rounded out the mix. A quick internet search revealed that Trader Joe?s carries miniature peanut butter cups that are roughly the size of a standard chocolate chip. I hope to procure these and try them in future ice cream recipes.

The ice cream was a hit at both my father?s birthday celebration and at a little sundae party later in the week. I love having the ability to get creative and whip up any flavor combination that I desire. I never thought that my Kitchen Aid ice cream maker would get as much use as it already has! If you’re looking for more delicious ice cream recipes, check out Joelen’s Culinary Adventures Tasty Tools blog round-up post for June.

Moose Tracks Ice Cream

1/4 cup Egg Beaters
7 oz. fat free sweetened condensed milk (1/2 can)
3 tbsp white sugar
3 tbsp brown sugar, not packed
4 oz heavy whipping cream
12 oz fat free half and half
8 oz skim milk
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup chopped mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (about 20)
4 oz. chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1-2 cups fudge ripple (see recipe below)

1. Pour half and half into small saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally, until steam rises. Remove from heat.
2. In a separate bowl, use a whisk or electric mixer to beat Egg Beaters, sweetened condensed milk and sugar together. Beat in 1/2 cup of hot half and half and then stir this mixture into the saucepan with the remaining half and half.
3. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue until the mixture reached 170-180 degrees or is slightly thickened. Do not bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Pour the mixture into a separate bowl and stir in the cream, milk, vanilla extract and salt.
5. Chill the mixture for several hours (overnight is even better). You can speed up the process by placing the bowl containing the mixture in a large bowl filled with ice and water.
6. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer?s directions.
7. Once the ice cream is done, gently fold in the Reeses Peanut Butter cup and chocolate chunks using a rubber spatula.
8. Transfer the ice cream to a storage container, alternating layers of ice cream with general drizzles of fudge ripple. Do not mix the ice cream and the ripple, as it will become muddied.
9. Allow ice cream to cure in freezer and attain desired hardness.

Fudge Ripple
from The Perfect Scoop
Yields about 2 cups

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine sugar, corn syrup, water and cocoa powder in a medium sauce pan and whisk until well-combined.
2. Heat over medium heat. Whisk constantly until it comes to a low boil.
3. Continue to cook for one minute, whisking constantly.
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
5. Chill thoroughly in refrigerator before using.

Fudge ripple, if covered and refrigerated, can be stored for up to 2 weeks.

As much as I love to make things from scratch, I?m usually a brownies-from-a-box kind of girl. Grab a box of Betty Crocker mix, throw some sort of chocolate chips on top, and you have a warm, chocolate-y dessert with minimal effort in less than 45 minutes.

I was swayed to attempt making brownies from scratch after my friend Meg brought these amazing chocolate mint brownies for dessert. These brownies require more effort then their boxed counterparts, but resulting dessert is certainly worth it. Since we?ll be visiting with friends for dinner tonight, I opted to make a special dessert treat.

The dense fudge-like brownie is covered with a sweet peppermint frosting and topped with a layer of hardened chocolate. The resulting dessert is more like a piece of candy than a typical brownie. While the final dessert product doesn?t need to be refrigerated, I prefer to store the brownies in the refrigerator and serve them cold. Served straight out of the fridge, these brownies have the taste and consistency of a decadent slice of fudge.

When I received a copy of this chocolate mint brownie recipe from my friend, she had made a few alterations to the original. I have found that her modified measurements (more milk in the frosting, and more chips and butter in the topping) result in smooth, spreadable frosting and enough chocolate topping to easily cover the entire 9×9 surface. Without the changes, I would imagine that the frosting would be too stiff to spread easily and there wouldn?t be enough chocolate topping to cover the brownies. Besides, is it ever possible to have too much chocolate?

Mint Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Adapted from familyfun.go.com

Yields about 2 dozen brownies

Brownies
1/2 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mint Frosting
1/4 cup softened butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Chocolate Topping
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter

Brownies
1. Heat the oven to 350? and grease a 9-inch square baking pan. (lining with foil and coating the foil in cooking spray works well too)
2. For the brownies, place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 1 minute more. Stir until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs.
4. Stir in the chocolate and the vanilla extract.
5. Stir in the flour and salt until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared pan, then bake for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for at least 1 hour.

Mint Frosting
1. Cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar.
2. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until it is smooth and spreadable.
3. Beat in the peppermint extract.
4. Frost the cooled brownies, cover, and chill in refrigerator for at least1 hour.

Chocolate Topping
1. Pour the chips into a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, and microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until the chocolate melts.
2. Stir until smooth.
3. Pour the chocolate over the brownies and smooth it with a knife. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until the coating hardens.

Once the coating has hardened, cut the brownies into 24 pieces. When packaging brownies, place wax paper between layers of brownies to prevent sticking.