Making Fudge and Memories

I have spent most of today and yesterday in my kitchen baking up a storm.  Thankfully, my daughter helped me the entire time.  She was a tremendous help and I know I couldn't have made nearly as many baked goods without her help.  Baking with my daughter brings back warm memories of baking with my own mother.  My mom made fudge every year for Christmas.  I am convinced that fudge is the very tastiest when scraped from the pot in which it was made!

My mom always used the recipe that is right on the jar of Kraft Jet Puffed Marshmallow Creme - Fantasy Fudge - so it's the same recipe I use as well.  The fudge always turns out so well and can be varied by adding different kinds of baking chips. 

Amber's upper-body strength built from hours upon hours in the pool was quite helpful with all of the stirring that needed to be done for all of the fudge we made!  We made 12 pounds of fudge - 6 pounds of butterscotch fudge, 3 pounds of white chocolate fudge, and 3 pounds of peanut butter/milk chocolate fudge.

 While I was stirring one batch, Amber measured out all of the ingredients for the next batch of fudge. 

Butterscotch fudge is the favorite of my husband's family.  I didn't make fudge last year and there were more than a few disappointed relatives at our Christmas party! 

 A lovely sight - 6 pounds of butterscotch fudge all ready to cut into little pieces!

The VERY best fudge, though, is the fudge that you scrape off the sides of the pan.  When I was younger and made fudge with my mom, before the days of Teflon coating, there was quite a bit more fudge to scrape off. 

Amber is finishing up the batch of white chocolate fudge.  I think the white chocolate fudge is my favorite this year.  It's SO yummy! 

 3 pounts of white chocolate fudge and...

3 pounds of peanut butter/milk chocolate fudge completely finished and ready to cut up is a wonderful sight!

One thought kept coming into my head while Amber and I were making batch after batch of fudge.  I knew we weren't just making fudge - we were making memories and I was actively passing on a family tradition to my daughter.  Hopefully, someday, she'll make fudge with her own daughter.