Mashed Potato Fudge

The after holiday diet has obviously been put on hold.  Or you could just eat this and nothing else for the rest of the day.  Gasp!  Yes.  I had to!  It was a rough week.  Bowie died.  Let's Dance, Under Pressure, Fame, The Man Who Sold the World...you get the idea, I am an 80's child and those were some of the best days of my childhood.  Then he married  Iman.  Oh my God!  Gorgeous couple and both so huge in the 80's.  Bowie dying is yet one more piece of my childhood that has gone away like Garbage Pal Kids, big hair, The Golden Girls, and shoulder pads.  My nostalgia runneth over.  

So, here is the recipe from Saveur for mashed potato fudge.  One modification I made was to mix the walnuts in with the fudge rather than sprinkle them on top.  Or you can go without any nuts at all.  Go crazy.  Oh, and yes, they were delicious.        

Pumpkin Pie Maple Fudge

I am writing this post in very choppy air at 31,000 feet. I felt the need to write about something that reminds me of a happy time when I was making fudge, licking the spoons, listening to Norah Jones and had my feet firmly planted on solid ground. Now, I am being bounced around like a ping-pong ball at a very high altitude, my stomach is in my throat and my diet coke looks like a mini tsunami in it’s pathetic little plastic cup. God help me.

Sorry, I digress. Now, about this fudge. Let me just say that it is one of the great paradox’s of my life that I have managed to go through all of these years without having a cavity. I have such a sweet tooth that I border on dreaming about sugary treats while sleeping. I am not going to beat around the bush, this is candy showboating as “fudge”. Need evidence? Ok, there is a jar of marshmallow fluff that went into this recipe which is basically candy being poured into candy. This is a fabulous cure for all of you sweet-obsessed crazies like me. So, assemble, wait and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats who adapted from Confections of a Food Birdie.

Recipe:

3 cups sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tbsp. real maple syrup
2 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of cinnamon
9 oz. white chocolate, chopped
7 oz. jar marshmallow crème
1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Stir together first six ingredients in a 3 ½ – quart saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234° (soft-ball stage).

Remove pan from heat; stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour into a greased aluminum foil-lined 8-inch square pan. Refrigerate over-night; cut fudge into squares.