Pumpkin Fudge

Pumpkin Fudge is a creamy seasonal fudge chock full of pecans, and another way to spread the pumpkin spice love.

Pumpkin Fudge

By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime

Mood: Listening to The Supremes Favorites 15

Let me start off by saying that today is a much better day than yesterday. Ha! Despite the fact that my eye has grown a sty and I look a bit like Marty Feldman from Young Frankenstein right now. Maybe it’s that October spooky spirit settling in on me. Don’t worry- it doesn’t hurt too much or anything like that, but it is pressing my lid down.

Wait a minute- doesn’t that make me more like Droopy the Dog than Marty Feldman, all you beautiful people?

Well, even if I am looking a bit funky today, I can tell by looking outside that the color change of autumn is ever nearer, and that’s a beautiful thing! Just in time, too, for my Canuck friends who celebrate Thanksgiving this week. That also means the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival is coming up in Waynesville. And yes, I ate sauerkraut today….unstuffed cabbage casserole. It was quite good until that moment I saw a meme on Facebook that said my stripper name had something to do with what I last ate.

Ahem. LOL!

Speaking of the Kraut fest- they have sauerkraut fudge too. I know I haven’t sprung that one on you just yet, but I promise I will…(Putting my Wicked Witch of the West hat on right now) “All in sweet time. These things need to be done…delicately.” 😉

Yes, October has arrived and in high fashion, I can get a little punchy with the corny, dry, Halloween humor. Did I ever tell you I do a smashing impression of the possessed Regan MacNeil from the Exorcist? Oh yeah, I am a real load of fun in the dark.

Hey! At least I am not like one of these clowns going around. What the heck is up with that? There have been two incidents in Cincinnati in the last week alone.

But back to the fudge- usually this is made with white chocolate (although I *have* seen it done with dark….) but I decided to try it with the pumpkin spice morsels, and yes, it does in fact work swimmingly. And don’t ask me how many minutes this cooks because…”use your thermometer, that’s what it’s there for” (Emeril might say) and if you want to ask me what to do with the rest of your pumpkin–stuff it in a plastic bag and freeze it. These cans of pumpkin never work out right for amounts in recipes. And if you think that’s bad, just go ahead and make your pumpkin puree from fresh, because those never come up in exact amounts. (It’s really easy to do, too- roast the pumpkin halves upside down until soft, scoop it out and strain it overnight in a food mill or cheesecloth to rid excess water) I always love buying the little sugar pumpkins and filling my freezer up with those riches.

But, there’s not a lot else to say about this fudge, except, it makes a bit, so be sure to make some friends by giving them some. Because. It’s the palatable thing to do. And c’ya tomorrow folks. I have pumpkin chili cooking up for you. Got crackers?

~Sue

Pumpkin Fudge

Servings: 3 pounds
Time: 35mins
Difficulty: moderate
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35 min prep and cook plus additional cooling time

Ingredients:

3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter
5 ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon Palatable Pastime blend pumpkin pie spice (click for recipe)
10 ounces Nestle Toll House Pumpkin Spice Morsels
7-1/2 ounce jar marshmallow creme
1-1/4 cups chopped toasted pecans
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Butter an oblong silicone baking pan.
In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice.
Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, with a candy thermometer clipped to the pan without the metal tip touching the pan bottom, until mixture registers 234ºF. (soft ball).
Remove from heat and stir in the pumpkin spice morsels until they melt, then stir in the marshmallow creme, 1 cup of the pecans and vanilla, beating until the fudge loses its gloss.
Press fudge into the silicone baking pan, then press remaining pecans on top and allow pan to cool on a wire rack.
Cut fudge into squares and keep in an airtight container,

From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com