Hello, it is I, your resident "Scrappy Gidget" with the 6th installment of "Gidget Roots" where I (with the help of my loved ones) explore my #familyhistory while cooking through family recipes. This #journeytothepast has been so much fun and has brought a bushel of new happy memories that I get to share with you! I was also inspired to channel my loved ones that I even added a new garment; I wore my husband's grandmother's apron for this recipe night!
In Chapter 5 "Stuffed Mushrooms" I said that we would be making porcupines in a bush (aka Cabbage Rolls) however, with fall season upon us my family is having a fall harvest hoe-down stick horse rodeo so we had to make some delicious treats to share with the rambunctious hooligans who will be joining the fun. With that said, my aunt suggested we make 'Babka's 3 layer fudge" and "Esther's Rhubarb Cake". Yes, you read that right.
THREE LAYERS OF CHOCOLATY YUMMY GOODNESS and Rhubarb Cake to boot! What this meant for us was we officially graduated into insanity by making THREE recipes total (2 of the same fudge, 1 fudge for the middle of the three layers, and the cake separately). This may be a longer blog post, but trust me.... It is all worth it in the end!
First, time to get organized (insert me laughing out loud). The trouble with navigating three recipes is that one must have a game plan, that the entire crew knows about, and must also follow said game plan to prevent chaos in the kitchen. "Too many cooks in the kitchen" you might ask? Well, no because we keep one another in check, albeit we MAY have to be sure to stay on the same wavelength while juggling multiple recipes. I was super excited and happy to be told we would be using my great-grandmother's mixer to make the cake (thanks, Jordan!) Grandma Esther's Rhubarb Cake is up first...
KITCHEN TIP: You can use the wrapper from a stick of butter that has been used up (save folded in the fridge) to grease a pan! My great-aunt Marcia shared this tip with me. She shared how her mother who grew up and lived during the Great Depression used this trick to use every last bit and let nothing go to waste. What a great tip, as it worked like a charm AND kept my hands from getting greasy, too!
For the cake, we butter wrapper greased a 9" x 12" pan. Then you want to take the box of French Vanilla (family preference, but you can use mix of your choice) and mix the cake mix according to instructions. Egg, cracked, mix, added, then....
How much marshmallow fluff do we use?
Are you confused now? Good because we were too, when one of our kitchen mates decided to go overboard into her own dingy and read WAY WAY WAY ahead to part 2 of the three layer fudge. "Um, we are on the cake recipe." we replied. My aunt sort of looked at us for a moment then said, "well, okay I just was curious to know how much of the fluff to use, since the recipe called for marshmallows and we are substituting fluff." My aunt Marcia and I laugh and say "well, we will get to that when we are on that recipe, but for now, we are mixing cake". NEEDLESS to say, the Rhubarb was not even diced up for the recipe we currently were on! Now you know why the disclaimer above about same game plan is a learned lesson from this fun evening of sugar highs and lots of giddy laughter.
Back to the cake... once the cake mix is mixed according to the direction on the box, it gets poured into the greased pan. Then you will take 4 cups of your diced rhubarb, sugar, and heavy whipping cream, stir together. (NOTE: Well; okay we didn't have quite enough rhubarb and we ended up halving the rhubarb mix to adjust it as needed. By the way, I have failed to mention how BEAUTIFUL this FRESH rhubarb was. Fresh right from the garden, picked while we were setting up and brought in to be washed and diced.
Absolutely gorgeous and definitely appropriate for a harvest themed desert!)
Once mixed, you pour over the top of the cake mix as evenly as possible, then bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Once it is cooked until a cake tester comes out clean (or a toothpick if you don't have a tester), remove from the oven to cool. This smelled and looked so delectable my mouth was watering!
PHASE 2 - OH FUDGE -
Really OH FUDGE is an accurate statement for this next process! The thing about my Bapka's three layer fudge (reminiscent of a Twin Bing candy bar) is that each layer consists of an entire batch of fudge; which means by the time you are done assembling the three layers, you have a decadent lip-smacking sensational concoction comprised of 8.5 cups sugar, 3 sticks of butter, and lots of other ooey gooey goodies to bring texture and enticing sweetness to the fudge.
Once the cake was in the oven and our attention was turned to the fudge, the process was smooth as butter. Again, it was a little chaotic at first until we were all focused on the same task at hand. Another lesson learned is to read the entire recipe (although come to think of it, I am pretty sure I said I needed to read the entire recipe for past chapters and I have failed to do so yet again; either that means I am forgetful, or just plain stubborn Polish girl, whatever the case I don't think it is the first time, nor the last, that I forget to read the recipe all the way through before starting! The first layer of the three layer fudge is called "Tom's Fudge"
NOTE - the recipe (as you will read below) for Bapka's fudge also says instead of peanut butter she used ground up salted nuts - which we did not do. (Most likely because I didn't read it! I literally just realized it said this when I sat down to write up this chapter!) This recipe is from my 3 x great grandmother, passed down to my great-grandma and then onto her brother, Tom. The last few years it was referred to as Tom's Fudge and "boy was he good at making this candy! So, we had to channel Tom!
We combined the sugar and carnation milk in a heavy sauce pan. Only after I started mixing the milk and sugar together that I realized I hadn't added the cocoa powder. My aunt suggested next time mixing the sugar and the cocoa together first before adding the milk (THIS IS A MUST DO IN MY BOOK NOW - it made mixing everything together so much easier!) Warm this over medium heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and continue the rolling boil until a small amount dropped into a little cold water forms a soft ball. This technique had to be one of the most fun things I learned. I personally have never made fudge before, so this was an absolute delight. You see, you take a small shot glass and fill with cold water; then drip a single drop of the fudge mixture into it; if it is ready, it will ball together into a soft ball and sink to the bottom. You can tell if it is not ready because it will not hold its shape.
We combined the sugar and carnation milk in a heavy sauce pan. Only after I started mixing the milk and sugar together that I realized I hadn't added the cocoa powder. My aunt suggested next time mixing the sugar and the cocoa together first before adding the milk (THIS IS A MUST DO IN MY BOOK NOW - it made mixing everything together so much easier!) Warm this over medium heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and continue the rolling boil until a small amount dropped into a little cold water forms a soft ball. This technique had to be one of the most fun things I learned. I personally have never made fudge before, so this was an absolute delight. You see, you take a small shot glass and fill with cold water; then drip a single drop of the fudge mixture into it; if it is ready, it will ball together into a soft ball and sink to the bottom. You can tell if it is not ready because it will not hold its shape.
Once you are at the soft ball stage, remove from head and beat until shiny. Then add vanilla and butter. Keep stirring until the entire stick of butter has melted. Now is when you add the peanut butter and beat well. (Remember, if you are making the traditional recipe of the three layer fudge, skip adding peanut butter and stir in your chopped nuts, instead). Once it is all stirred in you want to pour into a 17x11 buttered pan and let cool. Yes. Really. 17 x 11 that is not a typographical error! I now have a pan this size on my wish list of kitchen must haves! After it was poured the pan was quickly whisked away from my grasp, the aroma of delicious dark seduction of chocolate hanging in the atmosphere, as I hear "mmmm, oh yes, mmm oh my, yep mmmm" muffled through licks and smacks of the spoon. I look up to see chocolate covered lips and a great big smile. My aunt gave me the approval, it was so good you could lick from the spoon and she had been temporarily lost in another world of memories from her childhood.
My aunt said she remembers my great-grandma using Marshmallow Fluff as a substitute for the marshmallows in this recipe when it came out, because it saved time from having to melt the marshmallows on a double boiler. Tride and true we have another measurement dilemma (which was what my Aunt Peg had been trying to figure out before the cake was even in the oven!) So, with the help of our trusted Google guide, we figured out that 32 campfire marshmallows (which we assumed are the large ones intended to be roasted over the campfire) we used 2 c. marshmallow fluff. Because we got to skip melting the marshmallows down, we first had to mix the sugar, butter, salt and evaporated milk together and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Boil mixture for 8 minutes, remove from heat and add cherry chips (original recipe calls for chocolate or butterscotch but for Bapka's triple layer fudge, you use cherry chips)!
This was also a really fun part as the fudge began to come to life right before our eyes, a swirl of pink like the Wyoming sunrise glistened through the white canvas, quickly turning into a deep red hue. Absolutely magnificent. Once everything has combined and the chips are completely melted, we poured the red beauty over the set first layer of Tom's fudge. The pot and spatula again were whisked away with child-like fervor, a twinkle in her eye, to be taste tested just to make sure it was right. And it was. ☺
Finally, repeat making the batch of Tom's fudge for the third and final layer of Bapka's three layer fudge. If you do not normally use your arm actively, this is a GREAT workout! The constant stirring will have you feeling all the arm muscles you didn't realize were out of shape! Once the second batch of Tom's layer is made, we poured it over the glistening cherry red layer to complete the sugary trifecta of yumminess. Now the hard part. We have to let it cool and set.
This was also a really fun part as the fudge began to come to life right before our eyes, a swirl of pink like the Wyoming sunrise glistened through the white canvas, quickly turning into a deep red hue. Absolutely magnificent. Once everything has combined and the chips are completely melted, we poured the red beauty over the set first layer of Tom's fudge. The pot and spatula again were whisked away with child-like fervor, a twinkle in her eye, to be taste tested just to make sure it was right. And it was. ☺Finally, repeat making the batch of Tom's fudge for the third and final layer of Bapka's three layer fudge. If you do not normally use your arm actively, this is a GREAT workout! The constant stirring will have you feeling all the arm muscles you didn't realize were out of shape! Once the second batch of Tom's layer is made, we poured it over the glistening cherry red layer to complete the sugary trifecta of yumminess. Now the hard part. We have to let it cool and set.
Guess that means it is dinner time! Because we were making deserts, I decided to bring a Pumpkin Chili with ground turkey and Jalapeno Cheddar "Crackers" (which taste more like biscuits or a savory shortbread cookie). I included those recipes below for you as well, consider it my way of adding my own recipes to my family's culinary history.
Thank you so much for continuing to share in my #journeythroughfamilyhistory and I really hope you try out some of these amazing recipes! I also want to thank my Grandma for her yummy cake recipe, and my aunts for putting up with all my shenanigans and crazy ideas. Until next time, I hope you find your happy place, never grow up, and always smile, remember to share these special moments.
Next Episode / Chapter: TBD
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ORIGINAL RECIPES:
OLD FASHIONED (TOM'S) FUDGE
You will need:
- 3 cups sugar
- 3 heaping Tbs. of powdered Hersheys cocoa
- 1 cup carnation milk (unsweetened)
- 1 cube butter (stick)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 heaping Tbs super chunky peanut butter ***
*** for Bapka's three layer fudge, omit peanut butter and add 1 1/2 c. chopped peanuts (see recipe below)***
Combine sugar, cocoa, and carnation milk in a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium heat until the mixture comes to a rolling boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and continue the rolling boil until a small amount dropped into a little cold water forms a soft ball. Remove from heat, beat with a spoon until the mixture starts to become shiny (glossy). Now add the butter and vanilla. Stir until the butter is melted. Add the peanut butter (or chopped nuts) and beat well. You have to work fast because once the peanut butter is added to the candy it tends to set up fast. As soon as the peanut butter is all stirred in, pour it into a 17 X 11 butter pan and let it cool. Cut into squares.
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CAMPFIRE FOOL PROOF FUDGE
DADDY'S (HARLOW) MILLION DOLLAR FUDGE
You will need:
- 32 marshmallows (large campfire kind, or 2 c. marshmallow fluff)
- 1/4 c. water
- 6 oz can of carnation milk (evaporated, not the sweetened kind)
- 1 1/2 - 6 oz package of chocolate chips (9 oz total; can use butterscotch as a fun variation or if making Bapka's Three Layer Fudge, you will need cherry chips)
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 lb. butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
Put marshmallows and water in the top of a double boiler. Place over hot - not boiling - water, stirring frequently until marshmallows are melted (if using marshmallow fluff, you can skip this step as it is already "melted" state)
In a heavy saucepan combine: sugar, butter, carnation milk, and salt. Mix well. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat stirring often to keep from burning. Boil for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add chocolate (or butterscotch or cherry) chips and the melted marshmallows. Mix until well blended and the chips are all melted. Add chopped walnuts, if desired. Pour into buttered 8x8x2 pan. (Note, if making Bapka's three layer fudge, you will just pour this over the first layer of Tom's fudge in the large 17x11 pan).
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BAPKA'S THREE LAYER FUDGE
You will need:
- 1 batch of Tom's Fudge
- 1 batch of Campfire Foolproof Fudge
- 1 batch of Tom's Fudge
1st Layer: Make one batch of "Tom's Fudge", but instead of using peanut butter I grind up salted nuts. (I think they are called Spanish peanuts. They are the kind without the red skins). About 1 1/2 c. Pour this into an 11 x 17 inch buttered pan.
2nd Layer:
Use the recipe for the Fool Proof Fudge. Use cherry chips instead of the chocolate chips and OMIT the walnuts. Pour this mixture on top of "Tom's Fudge"
3rd Layer:
Make another batch of Tom's Fudge. Pour this over the cherry fudge. Let cool and cut into squares.
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ESTHER'S RHUBARB CAKE
You will need:
- 1 box cake mix of your choice (Esther prefers French Vanilla)
- 4 cups diced Rhubarb
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups white sugar
Directions: Mix the cake mix according to the instructions. Spray a 9" x 12" baking pan with Pam and pour the cake mix into the pan. Mix the rhubarb, whipping cream, and sugar together and pour over the top of the cake mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
You can substitute milk in the cake mix instead of water. If you use milk, add an extra egg to the cake mix.
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GIDGET'S PUMPKIN CHILI
You will need:
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 1 onion, chopped (or you can Substitute 6 Tbs minced dried onion)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chopped carrot (about 2 large carrots)
- 1 cup chopped celery (about 2 large stalks of celery)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 Tbs chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 - 15 oz cans chopped (or diced) tomatoes
- 2 - 15 oz cans dark kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 - 15 oz cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 - 15 oz can of pumpkin pie puree
- 1-2 cups of vegetable or chicken low-sodium broth to thin the chili (optional, you can omit if you like a thicker chili)
Optional garnish: Avacado, Sour cream, chili flakes
1) In a large pot, saute the onions, garlic, and carrot with the ground turkey until the turkey is cooked through and the carrots are softened.
2) Add in the chopped celery and bell pepper and saute a few minutes more until softened and cooked through.
3) Add in the all the spices and stir until the veggies and turkey are coated in the spice. Continue stirring and cooking the spices for a few minutes.
4) Add in the canned tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans and pumpkin puree and stir to combine. Add about 1 cup of broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. (You can now add more broth to obtain desired consistency). Allow the chili to simmer for 10-20 minutes.
5) Add additional salt and spices, to your liking.
6) Once all the flavors have melded together and the chili is warmed through, serve warm with your favorite garnishes.
This recipe goes great with Ina Garten's Jalapeno Cheddar Crackers. Click here for the recipe!
