Schools were closed in our county this entire past week, and with all this snow, I didn’t get behind the wheel of my car once. One day, Morgan asked for cupcakes, so I whipped up a batch using my homemade yellow cake mix. I’m so prepared to be snowed in! Ask me for anything! I can do it!
Then she asked for frosting on her cupcakes.
Oh no.
Turns out, this year’s aluminum foil crisis was powdered sugar. I had used the last of my powdered sugar when I baked the cake on the outdoor grill during the power outage. I hadn’t even been to the store–we’ve had snow on the ground ever since, and more on a near daily basis. Most frosting recipes require powdered sugar.
I scoured cookbooks for an alternative that didn’t require powdered sugar. There’s seven-minute frosting, but I wasn’t in the mood for all that beating. There’s the fluffy white frosting I like to use on my chocolate cake sometimes. It also requires a lot of beating and the end product is best refrigerated, which I didn’t want to do with cupcakes. And I found a couple of coconut frostings that don’t require powdered sugar–but Morgan doesn’t like coconut.
So I decided to make fudge frosting. I’ve never made fudge frosting before, but it sounded so good and so chocolate, I knew Morgan would like it. I thought I was doing all right till I got to the last bit of it where it said to beat the mixture vigorously with a spoon for five to six minutes. (A lot of beating with this one, too, but the chocolate swayed me here.)
I beat it vigorously with a spoon for two minutes and realized I was in trouble. I couldn’t have beaten it for six minutes unless I’d started using a jackhammer. The frosting got stiff way too quickly.
The cupcakes turned out like this:
Morgan called it a delicious disaster.
It was sorta like lumps of fudge candy on top of cupcakes.
Okay, first of all I shouldn’t have tried to use fudge frosting on cupcakes. This is a frosting that should be poured over a 13 x 9 cake in a pan. The recipes even says so. I was just being difficult.
Still, it was delicious! So I decided to try again.
I made a pan of brownies in a 13 x 9 pan. (See how I’m behaving now?) Fudge brownies. Could anything be better than fudge frosting on top of fudge brownies? I don’t think so. (A 13 x 9 pan of fudge brownies is a double recipe of my brownies.)
Morgan wanted to dive into the brownies right away.
I said, No, my dear one, I’m going to make fudge frosting again!
She said, “That’ll never work.”
Teenagers can be so cruel.
Me: “I will not be defeated by this frosting!”
I set to work.
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How to make Fudge Frosting:
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Butter sides of a heavy saucepan. Place sugar, corn syrup, chocolate, and salt in the pot; stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the chocolate melts.
Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and continue cooking, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the mixture reaches 234-degrees (soft-ball stage). It should boil gently over the entire surface.
When the mixture reaches the right temperature, remove the pot from the heat and add the butter. Just drop it in, no stirring. (I cut the butter into pieces before dropping it in.)
Let the mixture cool, without stirring, until it reaches 110-degrees. Add the vanilla.
Get the pan of brownies handy, on alert. The rest of this process goes fast.
Using a spoon, beat the mixture vigorously for five to six minutes. THIS PART IS A LIE. The first time I made this frosting, when I put it on the cupcakes, I beat it for two minutes and it was so hard, I couldn’t even pour it. This time, I decided to go for a minute and a half. Seriously, this stuff can go from this deliciously syrupy chocolate mixture….
….to hard as a rock so quickly, you wouldn’t believe it, so be careful. I’m not sure I went the whole minute and a half. I got scared and started pouring.
No sooner did I pour it out than it set up. I managed to spread it out over the entire pan of brownies, just barely, and I dipped a big spoon in hot water to smooth out a few spots that set up too quickly. I got a thumbs-up from the doubter when she (immediately) helped herself to a fudge-frosted brownie.
So while my second attempt was no repeat of disaster, I’m still far from mastering this frosting. What’s up with the five to six minutes? Next time I try this, I’m going to plan to beat it for no more than one minute, maybe 45 seconds! I will definitely make this again–it IS delicious! (A delicious challenge.)
Any of you excellent cooks out there (and I know many of you are!) have experience with this frosting? Am I going wrong somewhere? Got any tips? I do believe my candy thermometer is correct. You can do a manual test on soft-ball stage by dropping a small bit of the mixture in cold water. If you can shape it into a ball but still flatten it when you remove it from the water, it’s soft-ball stage. I’m sure I followed all the other instructions properly, yet the beating time doesn’t work out. If you’ve made this frosting, do you beat it for five to six minutes and does that work for you (and do you use a jackhammer after two minutes)? Looking for fudge frosting help here!
Lisa says:
I have no advice for the fudge frosting – anything that requires a candy thermometer or “soft ball stage” scares the crap out of me. I’ve accepted it as one of my weaknesses and moved on.
I wonder, though…would it be possible to make your own powdered sugar? Could you process regular sugar in a blender? I have no idea, but I figure if anybody could find a way to it, it would be you!
On January 10, 2010 at 1:23 am
JOJO says:
:snowman: :woof: :snowman:
I dont know what may have gone wrong, but those brownies look delicious. The topping is like the old fashioned fudge, which is one of my favorites, the kind made with fluff is good, but the old fashioned kind that was on the Hershey can is the best. I used to make it years ago, and I remember it can be a bit trickey as well.
Morgan gives it an excellent review.
Suzanne, I read somewhere that you can make powdered sugar in a blender from regular sugar, I have never tried it, but perhaps some of your readers may have. Just a thought, we cant have you going through another crisis!—-Now a brownie and a glass of cold milk will do nicely!
Thank you,
JO
On January 10, 2010 at 1:35 am
JOJO says:
Lisa, we must have been leaving our comments at the same time!
Susanne will have to let us know if the sugar thing works.
JO
On January 10, 2010 at 1:39 am
Toria says:
Were you beating with an electric beater or by hand? I’m wondering if the instructions are for hand beating & you used an electric beater, that could explain the time discrepancy.
On January 10, 2010 at 3:03 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
I was beating by hand with a spoon. That’s how the recipe said to do it, by hand.
On January 10, 2010 at 6:23 am
city hen says:
Your cupcakes were such FUN! I laughed OUT LOUD! I run a coffee shop and so I am very familiar with delicious disaster! I am following you sista! This was just too much fun.
Smiles from Poland,
Rhonda
On January 10, 2010 at 3:46 am
JoLinda says:
I bought our youngest a cotton candy maker one year and couldn’t get any superfine sugar at the time. So I put sugar in my blender and it worked just fine. I don’t know how powdery it will get but it might work.
On January 10, 2010 at 4:13 am
Runningtrails says:
Those brownies look absolutely delicious!
I have no info on the fudge/sugar thing either but am willing to try making powdered sugar in the blender or the coffee/spice grinder.
On January 10, 2010 at 4:57 am
Patricia Herman says:
Those brownies look delicious. Send me some!
On January 10, 2010 at 5:33 am
Wendy says:
MMM Brownies! =) They look delicious – I may have to make them for the kids today. Um, yeah – for the kids. π
On January 10, 2010 at 6:16 am
CindyP says:
Well they look absolutely delicious………frosting screw up or not!!! And then the brownies…..mmmmm!!
I have no advice on the frosting, like Lisa, candy thermometers deter me! I find a different recipe! LOL!
Making your own powdered sugar requires some cornstarch, too. 1/2:1 ratio cornstarch to super fine sugar (sugar through the blender). I’ve never tried using the cornstarch, but after a fudge making attempt at Christmas time, I used just blendered sugar…..it’s NOT the same! A very grainy texture…..the cornstarch must keep it all together!
On January 10, 2010 at 6:22 am
skippymom says:
If you have a blender [or food processor] use 1 cup granulated sugar with 2 tbsp cornstarch – blend on high until it is fluffy powdered sugar. [I had to laugh -“powdered sugar is this years tinfoil” heehee]
Nice job on the brownies – they look lucious!
On January 10, 2010 at 6:28 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
Thank you, skippymom! I’m so trying that!!!
On January 10, 2010 at 6:43 am
CindyP says:
Actually, I’m wondering why you would have to wait for it to cool all the way down to 110…….as soon as you start stirring it, you’re cooling it down that much faster. There’s no way to get 5 minutes of beating before it gets cool enough to set up. And it seems you would want the beating part of it in there, to make it lighter and fluffier. I would skip the 110 part. Melt the butter in, add the vanilla and beat.
On January 10, 2010 at 6:45 am
Leah says:
Were there’s a will there’s a way. I need to see what I have on hand to make soemthing sweet. :dancingmonster:
On January 10, 2010 at 7:16 am
flutterby says:
Since the fudge frosting sets up so fast, I’m not sure I’d beat it at all.
On January 10, 2010 at 7:33 am
carol says:
One of two things on the fudge thing…..either they had slower spoons back in the day or Crooked Little Hen put a hex on you for sending her to the chicken house again. It could happen!
My only attempts at REAL fudge like this ended in disaster. I re-named it Spoon Fudge because mine wouldn’t set up! If I have to make fudge now, I head for the microwave but that is SO not real fudge. Kinda like the difference between hot chocolate from a paper pouch and hot chocolate cooked on the stove with real milk, real cocoa and stirred by Mama. Just not the same.
Still, fudge is fudge even if you eat it with a spoon or spread it in lumps on cupcakes.
On January 10, 2010 at 7:35 am
Mia says:
You are a far better woman than I to try that torture TWICE! They do look good tho. And isn’t that the way, if you’re like me and we stock up on eVERYTHING that may ever be needed in time of famine.. at least we THINK we have.. but there’s always one little stinker that misses the shopping list ::sigh:: Have a brownie for me π
On January 10, 2010 at 7:36 am
C says:
Okay, you are doing exactly NOTHING to help my New Year’s resolution…looks scrumptious (even the failed batch…of course, at this point, anything sweet looks good to me). C.
On January 10, 2010 at 7:43 am
BuckeyeGirl says:
Delicious disasters indeed! In chocolate even! Such good ideas and solutions! We haven’t had frosting on cupcakes or even many larger cakes for as long as I can remember, growing up with diabetes in our family means less frosting, more fruit. That being said, I think I’d have gone for a brown sugar frosting, or a burnt sugar frosting, though most of those require quite a bit of beating too… still I have a weakness for brown sugar.
Witam city hen!! My mother’s mother came from GdaΕsk! (many many years ago, around 1910)how nice to see you visiting us here!
On January 10, 2010 at 8:15 am
Sheila Z says:
To check the temperature of your thermometer boil a pan of water and see if it checks out a 212 F. If it’s high or low then adjust your final temp measurement when you are making your fudge. My mother always made me do this water test with the thermometer each time we made fudge or peanut brittle. She claimed the boiling point can vary depending on the barometric pressure that day. Thus the necessity to do this each time your recipe demands accuracy in temperature measurements. I know with fudge a couple of degrees variation can cause the batch to either be rock hard or too soft to set. It’s tricky stuff. These days I’m lazy and make the fool proof fudge with marshmallow cream and chocolate chips because that stuff is quick and never fails to set right. Or at least I used to until my blood sugar said no more sweet stuff.
On January 10, 2010 at 8:25 am
Jan says:
Suzanne:
Could have to do with air temperature, humidity, altitude. Maybe they don’t account for your being on a MOUNTAIN, in the cold, using ??????????? heat on a ???????????? day. Desserts and baking are the finickiest “food” group. That’s why I don’t even try.
Part of the beauty and uniqueness of your blog is that you admit to the mistakes and you don’t present everything to us as “just perfect.” Every Sunday, on our GDP daily photo blog, we post a “Sacred Sunday” photo. Perhaps every Sunday, YOU can publish a “trials and tribulations” shot! LOL!
Keep on keeping on!!!!
On January 10, 2010 at 8:28 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
Our altitude is not really as high as you’d think! We’re technically in the Appalachian foothills (though they look like mountains to me, I’m a flat land girl!). I did a quick google search and the altitude of Spencer, WV, the “big” (haha) town in our county is 748 feet. We may be a little bit higher where we are, maybe 800 feet. I believe high altitude as far as cooking/baking is at around 3500 feet or higher (not totally sure). Anyway, I use all regular baking recipes. Though, re temp of the house, it has been a bit cold and sometimes I do have trouble with keeping the fire hot, LOL. I wonder if I would have more success with this recipe in the summer.
On January 10, 2010 at 8:42 am
Phyllis Ryan says:
FUDGE YUMMMMMMMMMM. Who cares if it isn’t perfect. It’s FUDGE.
On January 10, 2010 at 8:35 am
Karen Anne says:
Twenty minute fudge from the fanny merritt farmer cookbook is foolproof.
On January 10, 2010 at 8:43 am
Kathi says:
Try leaving out the vanilla.
One of our favorite and easy snacks is Muddy Buddies. The first time we made them, the vanilla made it seize up almost immediately. I tried it again, and the same thing happened. (Of course they were still delicious and didn’t go to waste!) I tried a third time, leaving out the vanilla since that was the last thing I’d done before the disaster… and it worked fine. We’ve never noticed the difference in taste. I was using real vanilla, so it wasn’t a problem caused by an imitation product.
Let us know if it works! Those brownies look SCRUMPTIOUS!
On January 10, 2010 at 9:27 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
That’s an interesting idea re leaving out the vanilla!
On January 10, 2010 at 9:32 am
BuckeyeGirl says:
Muddy Buddies? THAT sounds interesting!
On January 10, 2010 at 9:39 am
Lynda Dunham-Watkins says:
Looks delish! You can make powdered sugar with regular sugar in a blender. Works great!
On January 10, 2010 at 9:40 am
Heidi says:
I have no idea about the fudge frosting. However, I have a friend who has to avoid corn products. Since there is corn starch in powdered sugar (to keep it from clumping), she can’t use commercial powdered sugar. She makes her own by simply putting sugar in her blender and processing it on high until it’s the right texture.
On January 10, 2010 at 9:42 am
B. Ruth says:
I never make candy (fudge) on a wet, cloudy rainy day….unless I want to eat it with a spoon or put it in the fridge to set….
Perfect day is sun shining, cold and low, low humidity….
Sounds like you had the perfect day…just have to work quicker,
if your fudge cools quickly look out….I’ve had mine set in the pan before getting to the plate…LOL
Boiling too long..and taking too much time to pull out a softball and press (while your fudge still cooking or sitting there doing its thing…watch you time as well as the softball stage…
Just drop it in a clear tall glass of cold water.. you will learn when it is softball stage without having to take it out and mash it. I never used a candy thermometer for fudge…but testing it sounds like a good idea…(Re: Canning gauge test)..too
I don’t know about leaving out the vanilla….seems that would make it a touch bitter…but might try it sometime…also pure vanilla is best…watered vanilla and fudge don’t mix…
PS….That’s my penny candies worth..LOL
On January 10, 2010 at 10:07 am
B. Ruth says:
PSS…I have used fudge icing for years for cakes and brownies….before the fat hit the frame…LOL
On January 10, 2010 at 10:10 am
Heather says:
As to making powdered sugar on your own, I’ve done it in one of those little pint-sized food processors. It can be done, but it took a while. I think it would probably be faster in an actual blender. The one caution I have is that if you’re doing it in a blender, it should be a glass-walled one. The sugar will etch the plastic ones. Good luck!
On January 10, 2010 at 10:16 am
Valeria in NC says:
OMG! You made Texas Brownies! At least that’s what the old lady at the Farmer’s Market used to call them when I was a child. I used to wake up in the middle of the night and sneak them with a tall glass of milk. It was the frosting, so thick and slice-able, that made them special. I’ve never seen them since, nor really understood what kind of strange, solid frosting that was. THANK YOU!!! I’ll be making them soon.
On January 10, 2010 at 10:50 am
Debnfla3 says:
What a wonderful disaster!!!
David would sooooo love those brownies. Chocolate is his bestest of friends….LOL
Deb
On January 10, 2010 at 10:53 am
EightPondFarm says:
If they taste as good as they look, who cares if the recipe is wrong! Seriously, there are small differences due to altitude in things like the amount of sugar and liquid and temperature but they are very slight at 800 feet. Are you sure you are at 110F when you start the beating process — don’t even *think* of jostling it earlier! Do you quick cool the pan (over ice/water bath)? That might help — and I do not go all the way to soft ball stage when heating (maybe 220F). Then again, I don’t use this recipe; it looks right from the pictures, though.
On January 10, 2010 at 11:05 am
Maude says:
I think it’s barometric pressure and relative humidity that rules fudge making. It’s been years, but I think water boils when the vapor pressure (under the lid that covers the pan of boiling water) equals the atmospheric pressure. Sheila Z’s mom…great way to test.
As for the vanilla, maybe it’s the alcohol reacting with the other ingredients?
Here, from ucDavis.edu: The boiling point corresponds to the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the atmospheric pressure. If the liquid is open to the atmosphere (that is, not in a sealed vessel), it is not possible to sustain a pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure, because the vapor will simply expand until its pressure equals that of the atmosphere.
My go to fudge frosting is on the back of Baker’s unsweetened chocolate squares. You would need confectioner’s sugar, but it’s simple: butter (I usually grab salted butter), powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and unsweetened baking chocolate squares (melted).I use less milk…I think their recipe yields a glaze.
On January 10, 2010 at 11:07 am
Flatlander says:
Looks good, next time you need icing sugar and you don’t have any.
You can make it yourself by grind it in a coffee grinder.
On January 10, 2010 at 11:14 am
Judy Mitchell says:
My recipe for classic fudge calls for “beating in the butter and vanilla” then pouring in the pan as soon as the butter is melted and stirred in. Seems like “five or six minutes” beating is just asking for trouble. π Fudge should still be “shiney” when poured. If it’s getting dull looking, you better work fast!
Here’s an icing you can always make w/o powdered sugar: Ganache
Melt chocolate chips with cream and dip the cupcake tops in it. In a pinch you can use canned milk if you have no cream. Half and half works too. I use ganache regularly here to dress up plain pound cakes. A little drizzle of ganache over the cake and some chopped nuts…voila, plain cake is dressed and ready for the church bazaar! π
On January 10, 2010 at 11:15 am
KentuckyFarmGirl says:
Those brownies look awesome! Wish I had one right now!
On January 10, 2010 at 11:48 am
Cori R. says:
When I was living in Latvia, I wanted to make a frosting that called for powdered sugar and then found out the local stores don’t have it! At all! My husband just looked at me after I translated what it was I needed and gave me a coffee grinder. A few pulses later and I had perfectly fluffy powdered sugar – no cornstarch or blenderizing needed (which is good because we didn’t have a blender, cornstarch or a food processor in the flat either!).
On January 10, 2010 at 11:48 am
Ms E says:
Read like a poured icing that only needs about 15 seconds of stirring before being used (poured)!
On January 10, 2010 at 12:01 pm
rileysmom says:
As long as they tasted good! Sometimes one just needs to cave in to the need for chocolate! As usual, you Miss Suzanne, are undaunted! I would have been crying!
On January 10, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Nancy in Iowa says:
Forget the brownies – now you’ve got me craving the fudge Mom always made! She used the cup of cold water as her “soft ball” tester, and her fudge was the absolute best of any I’ve had since. Darn – now I want some chocolate fudge….help!!! :hungry:
On January 10, 2010 at 1:12 pm
catslady says:
I only make one kind of icing – a butter cream and you absolutely have to use a mixer for the sugar and butter.
On January 10, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Tobey says:
I agree – it is the humidity that makes the difference with candy (fudge) making. Since the day is dry, it takes less beating time or even cooking time.
I live in Fla and when I make chocolate oatmeal cookies on the stovetop, dry days less cooking and humid days more cooking and more oatmeal.
We would have to wait for a cold dry day to even TRY divinity!
You should try that – it works best on cold dry days and huge eggs…
On January 10, 2010 at 3:10 pm
SuzieQ says:
Some of the worst looking cake disasters have always been some of the best tasting cakes… just eat and enjoy! :woof:
On January 10, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Lanita canup says:
You can make your own powdered sugar by blending or using a food processor and adding about a 1/8 to 1/4 cup cornstarch! But the chocolate looked yummy!
On January 10, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Barbee' says:
Hi Suzanne, two things. (1) I introduced one of our daughters to your blog several months ago, and guess what she gave for Christmas gifts: home made vanilla flavoring. I had no idea she was doing that, it was a complete surprise, and I laughed so hard. (2) Picture this: Thanksgiving 1948, mother’s in hospital due to appendectomy, father working nights, two bored kids barely 9 and 12 years old (I’m the older.), no TV or anything like that back then at our house: Ah, HA! Let’s make some fudge! How? I can read! Read outside of old fashioned Hershey can. It said to cook until soft ball stage. Find mom’s cook book. Look up “soft ball”. Somewhere in there was mentioned that the ball should float in cold water. I have no idea how long I cooked that fudge, but once I couldn’t stir it any more, I gave up. We couldn’t get the spoon out of the cement-like stuff. Couldn’t get Anything(!) out of the pan. We decided to set it out doors in the rain and let it “soak”. I have no idea how many weeks it remained outdoors; it was still there and still raining when mother came home from hospital several days later. I can’t remember if mother was ever able to use that pan again.
On January 10, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Linda says:
Yum-eee. Love, love,love fudge frosting! I nominated your blog for the bloggies! Good luck!
On January 10, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Tisha says:
Fudge Frosting looks good just by itself! Here is an easy White Fluffy Frosting that has basic ‘snowed in for months’ ingredients!
White Fluffy Frosting
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. flour
In small saucepan cook until thick and smooth: milk, flour. Stir with wooden spoon constantly. Set aside to cool. In a bowl cream butter and shortening together using electric mixer. Add sugar gradually. Beat well until no longer grainy. Add cooked flour mixture. Beat until consistency of whipped cream. Add vanilla and stir. Yields frosting for 1 layer cake or 24 cupcakes.
Enjoy! Tisha
On January 10, 2010 at 5:42 pm
kerri says:
I’m not a fudge maker, so sorry, no advice on that, but looks like you’ve got plenty. I loved reading Barbee’s story π
The brownies look delicious and I’ll bet the cupcakes were too.
You certainly love a challenge…and I’m certain Morgan enjoyed it too. She’s a lucky girl π And no school for a week…can’t beat that with a stick! :snoopy:
On January 10, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Marianne says:
Making powered sugar is easy — and someone may have already said this — just take granulated sugar and run it through your blender. Poof! Powdered sugar.. though your nice, thick frosting looks mighty yummy!!
On January 10, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Marianne G says:
That recipe sounds very similar to my tried and true chocolate-peanut butter fudge recipe handed down from my great-aunt:
3 cups sugar
3 heaping tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp peanut butter
Combine sugar and cocoa in a saucepan (I use a cheap aluminum one,very thin and no carryover heat from a heavy sauce pan). Add milk. Cook over medium heat until the soft ball stage (I don’t have a candy thermometer, so I don’t know the temp) Usually reaches this stage about 7 minutes into boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla, butter and peanut butter. Beat by hand with a wooden spoon until mixture starts to thicken and lose it’s gloss. Pour into a butter pan )mine is about 8×10) and let cool.
I imagine you could pour this on a cake or brownies as well.
On January 10, 2010 at 8:12 pm
auntbear says:
Yup…I don’t know about the frosting part,but this recipe looks just exactly like my regular fudge recipe. :yes:
On January 10, 2010 at 9:00 pm
princessvanessa says:
Learned this from my mom (rest her soul)
What to do if your fudge frosting has prematurely hardened—put it back into the pan and reheat it to the required temperature (this case 234-degrees/soft ball stage). Reduce the temperature to about 110-degrees. As the butter and vanilla are already in there you skip that part. Stir until it just starts to loose its high gloss and apply to brownies, cupcakes, cookies, etc.
As well, if you are making old fashioned fudge (with Hersey’s cocoa powder) and you are hand beating to where it should thicken and looses its high gloss BUT IT DOESN’T loose its gloss—-back onto the stovetop, reheat to soft-ball stage, cool, and beat until it looses its gloss.
Sometimes all I have to do is mutter under my breath, “okay, back onto the stove for you” and it immediately thickens and dulls. lol
On January 10, 2010 at 10:01 pm
debbie says:
Gosh,look what I miss when I miss reading for a day…FUDGE! The last time I tried making fudge was two New Year’s Eves ago. It would not set. Then, for some odd reason my husband turned on the faucet while the pan was sitting in the sink, as I was beating it. He still can’t explain why. It never sits up with extra water in it. As if you couldn’t guess that. My kids ate it with a spoon. (Sighing and shaking head)
On January 11, 2010 at 9:27 am
sherry says:
Delicious and easy chocolate fudge glaze that anyone can make:
1 Can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chocolate chips
Melt in the microwave (about 90 seconds, in 30 second increments) or on the stovetop.
Stir. Pour immediately.
Enjoy!
On January 11, 2010 at 10:27 am
Marianne G says:
Wow Sherry, you must have been reading my mind. I’m making a banana cake today and was looking for a chocolate glaze recipe to put on it. This sounds simple and easy.
On January 11, 2010 at 10:52 am
Stacey says:
Here is a recipe from southernplate.com that I have used
1- 1/2 C sugar
7 T milk
2 T Shortening
2 T margarine
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C creamy Peanut Butter
Combine sugar, milk, shortening, margarine, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Once it reaches a boil, let boil for one ot two minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and add vanilla and peanut butter. Beat until smooth and quickly spread onto cake.
You can substitute 1/2 cup cocoa for the peanut butter and will have the chocolate fudge icing.
On January 12, 2010 at 12:01 pm
desertrat says:
perhaps instead of fudge to cake…cake to fudge?
keeping the fudge at a liquid state then giving the cupcakes the ganache treatment?
just an idea π
On November 17, 2011 at 5:15 pm
Alison Hamm says:
My Vitamix recipe for powdered sugar is 1 1/2 C. sugar and 1 T. cornstarch….
Blend starting slowly then up to high for about 30 seconds. Let it settle before removing lid. Yield is 2 C. powdered sugar.
First time I made it I didn’t blend long enough and it still had some crystals but I now no longer buy it. I just make it when needed. Also the cornstarch is only necessary for certain recipes so I don’t always add it. Hope this helps.
On March 6, 2013 at 6:30 pm
zteagirl71 says:
The French in my genes compels me to say one word to you: GANACHE!
If you have heavy cream and chocolate, you have an easy frosting! No whipping required. Just heated cream, chopped chocolate, stirring, and voila – deliciously, decadent, chocoluscious frosting. GANACHE, farmer girl. GANCHE!
On February 14, 2014 at 12:22 pm