Wahoowa, episode II: Mom's new job

Not only does Mom never miss one second of a UVA basketball game, but she often watches certain figures around the court with envy, wishing she could be closer to the action. For example, Mom has wondered if she should be a cop so she can sit behind the UVA bench guarding Coach Bennett, or maybe even just one of those people (little kids usually) who run out and towel sweat off the floor when one of the players takes a tumble. But now I think I've found a way better job for Mom than sweat-wiper-upper: President of the University of Virginia. Check out this photo of Jim Ryan from the National Championship game:

Jim not only got to go to the game (and to the semifinal), but he also got to hang out with many of the greatest players ever to suit up for the Cavaliers, including Ralph Sampson, Joe Harris, Justin Anderson, Devon Hall, and maybe our all-time favorite, Malcolm Brogdon (who walked the Lawn with Dylan in 2016). Of course, Jim also had to deal with the football coach having his arm around him while sporting a shit-eating grin, but that's a small price to pay for the other perks of being right there in the thick of things in Minneapolis. Yup, it's definitely time for Mom to throw her hat in the ring to be the second female President of UVA, especially since it worked out so well for the first one.

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I've been on a kick lately to come up with an easy fudge recipe. My first try was nothing special, but the second one wasn't bad, although Mom turned her nose up at both of them, since she considers fudge to be one of her "specialities." That's because Mom made the Cook's Country Blue-Ribbon Fudge at Christmas, which was really good, but I had zero interest in subjecting you to dealing with a candy thermometer, not to mention a recipe that calls for 4 cups (that's almost 2 pounds) of sugar, 2 sticks of butter, and a whole jar of Marshallow Fluff* (more sugar). So I finally checked where I should have started: in the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook, in which I found a recipe for 15-Minute Chocolate Walnut Fudge. You have to chop up more than a pound of chocolate, so the 15-minute thing is bullshit, unless you use a food processor to chop the chocolate, in which case you'll spend more time cleaning up anyway. But as usual with the lovely folks at America's Test Kitchen, the recipe works like a charm (even if it does take 23 minutes). Brad and I both love this stuff (too much), and even Mom admitted it was my best effort yet, even if it doesn't measure up to her lofty standards. And it's quick and easy enough to make that we can always have some on hand for all our visitors when we move into Carr's Hill.

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*Ingredients: Corn Syrup, Sugar Syrup, Dried Egg Whites, Vanillin.

Here's everything you need to make the fudge

Baking pan fitted with foil sling for easy fudge removal

Chocolate Fudge with Nuts

Adapted from The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook (2011)

Time from start to going into the fridge: 23 minutes

The original recipe cautions you not to be “tempted to make this fudge without the [nuts]; they are crucial to the texture.” 

16 ounces/454 grams semisweet chocolate, chopped fine (I used Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate, which has a minimum of 54% cocoa solids)
2 ounces/57 grams unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine (I used Ghirardelli 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate)
½ teaspoon baking soda
rounded ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt, or ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
100 grams (1 cup) coarsely chopped walnut or pecan pieces (I used Trader Joe’s Unsalted Dry Toasted Pecan Pieces) (see note)

    1. Tear off two 12-inch pieces of aluminum foil. Fold each over so that you have two 12-by-8-inch pieces. Place crosswise into an 8-inch square baking pan, folded sides down, to form a sling (see the photo above). Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
    2. Bring 2 cups (475 grams) of water to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan.
    3. Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof bowl (such as Pyrex), use a silicone spatula to stir together the chocolates, baking soda, and salt until the baking soda is evenly distributed. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
    4. Set the bowl over the simmering water, and stir until the chocolate is mostly melted with just a few small pieces left, up to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat, and stir until the chocolate is completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in the nuts.
    5. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
    6. Use the foil sling to remove the fudge block from the pan, then cut into individual pieces using a sharp knife.  I cut 48 3-by-2-cm pieces.) Makes ~2½ pounds of fudge. The fudge can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Rocky Road Fudge
Substitute 1 cup (100 grams) coarsely chopped peanuts for the walnuts or pecans. At the end of step 4, stir in 1 cup mini marshmallows and ½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips along with the peanuts.