Incursion into the Dangerous Land of Fudge

I've been to the Land of Fudge before. 

I've made classic fudge, and even Cookies n Cream fudge that turned out more like dulce de leche mixed with Oreos--not bad. Land of Fudge is a dangerous place, however. It actually gets increasingly dangerous as you cut your fudge into smaller squares. That's when you start thinking, "One or two squares can't hurt." And then you might be writing a thesis paper, or annoyed or particularly happy, or just watching television. Any activity becomes a sudden excuse for another square.

"They're so little, and I need one--it's not everyday I have to do the dishes." (Well, in fact, yes it is, but reach for that square anyway.)

You can try hiding the fudge in a closet, in a dark empty oven, or even under your bed: it just keeps calling your name. I'm not talking Ulysses and the sirens here. This is a much greater deal. I don't think Ulysses would ever be able to defeat Fudge. I'm certain he would go ahead, eat it all up, changing the fate of the world and culture as we know it.

I love fudge so much that I really could eat the whole pan, and feel a little sick afterwards. Chances are, though, I would feel just fine and want another bite. That's why my fudge-making is restricted to when I plan a party. Also, I know there are some serious fudge admirers out there, always game for heading into that Dangerous Land with me. 

I had memories of really good fudge bars from when I was younger, and asked Maman for the recipe. Turns out, the secret ingredient was one I hadn't yet encountered in my Fudge Incursions: almond extract. Trust me on this one: this is a fudge bar worth making. However, the recipe is for a 9x13 inch pan, and you really should stick to that. I didn't, and used a smaller pan. The shortbread was too thick and ended up being a tad crumbly and generally not as great as it would have been in its thinner version. With that said, I had no trouble gobbling these up--I'm no Ulysses, and this fudge certainly has powers no siren ever had.

You look lonely and your crust is too thick, but I'll still have you

In honor of Mother's Day--which was yesterday in the US I know, but I was on a very long and delayed flight, and it's not till May 30th in France--I thought I would post two versions of this recipe. The first, as e-mailed by the Mother in question, and another in 100% English. Enjoy, and Happy Mother's Month to everyone!

chocolate fudge bars:

Crust; 1/2 CUP GROUND ALMONDS, 1 CUP FLOUR, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teasp salt, 1 stick butter ( c est 8 TB = 110G ) 1 oeuf. Melange tout ça. cuire dans un moule 350 F 20 minutes. Fudge: 1 can sweetened condensed milk+2TB sugar+1/4 teas almond extract. Faire chauffer puis ajouter 12 oz semisweet chocolate et verser sur la pâte cuite et voilà! Bisou, maman

Chocolate Fudge Bars

makes a 9x13 inch pan

crust

1/2 c. ground almonds

1 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 TS salt

1 stick butter

1 egg

fudge

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 TB sugar

1/4 TS almond extract

12 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F / 185 C.

Make crust: mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Press into a parchment paper-lined 9x13 inch pan, using the bottom of a measuring cup or your fingers to make crust compact.

Bake 20 minutes, until crust is golden.

Make fudge: over a double boiler, heat condensed milk, sugar and almond extract. Add chopped chocolate and mix until combined. 

Pour over crust and let cool at room temperature. Refrigerate and cut into squares before serving.