Monday, July 16, 2018

Fan mail for my mother's famous maple fudge

Photo from Maple Syrup World
Yes, there is more to the story.  I've told you all about my mother's maple fudge and how she was locally famous for the preparation of this delicacy.
 
She gave this fudge frequently as a gift-- to everyone from doctors to piano teachers -- and people greatly appreciated its creaminess (it contains 2 cups of cream!) and true maple flavor achieved by using a dark grade of maple syrup.   This very rich fudge was always cut in very small pieces --perhaps an inch square.  We kids were often treated to corner pieces and trimmings -- and, truthfully, that was fine with me.  This is a delicious fudge but it is very sweet.  I have always preferred chocolate fudge to maple.

(Incidentally, since I have no photos of the maple fudge, I went looking on line.  The photo and link at the top of the page will take you to a maple fudge recipe that does not contain white sugar -- only pure maple syrup, butter, cream, and nuts which are optional.  Might be worth a try!  I chose this particular photo because it resembled my mother's fudge more closely than others I found.)

As I've been cleaning out at my parents' home, I have been finding so many notes of appreciation from folks she made this candy for.  Here's one of them:

Notice that Winifred says, "Seems as if the candy was the best you ever made.  I follow your directions but mine is never as creamy as yours.  Mine is amateur and yours professional." What an accolade!

Winifred was an elderly lady who lived at a bit of a distance.  My mother apparently at some point even made some fudge specifically for this lady to give away.  I imagine all that stirring would have been a bit much for an older lady to tackle.  Winifred wrote in another note, "What a wonderful thing for you to make all that candy for me.  A real life saver.  I never expected anything like that." 

Then Winifred writes more about one of her own experiences with making the fudge:
"Mine tastes good but isn't creamy and fine grain like yours.  To begin with I hunted half a day for your recipe, then I measured the whole amount in the pressure cooker.  [My mother always used the very heavy pressure-cooker saucepan to make her fudge in, but she did not cook it under pressure!]  I have never had good luck only when I made half the amount.  The phone rang twice and I had to turn off the stove.  It boiled over once, and besides I got too tired."  Poor Winifred!  This is why I never have tried making that fudge.

Believe it or not, there is yet more fan mail for my mother's maple fudge -- but I will share that with you all another day.  

10 comments:

  1. what souvenirs you have!

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    1. Yes, I do! Thankfully, in blogging about some of these things, I'm able to throw items like Winifred's letters away with a clear conscience.

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  2. Does it make you want to try it? Did your mother always make fudge on a fair weather day? I think that I would enjoy this fudge, but I have great difficulty finding rich, dark maple syrup. I can find plenty of the Grade A amber stuff. How nice that your mother knew that her fudge was appreciated.

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    1. I can't say I have ever been tempted to try making this fudge. Too complicated. I don't think that my mother restricted fudge-making to a clear weather day, though I know you're supposed to do that with some candy making.

      I wonder about buying your syrup at places like Christmas Tree Shop or Ocean State Job Lot. I've noticed they often have local or regional brands of maple syrup, but for the price I'm thinking it's likely dark syrup. Ever checked that out?

      Yes, my mother definitely knew that her fudge was appreciated. It was one of her claims to fame, for sure!

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  3. Sounds like one I need to try

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    1. You are braver than I am, Lana!

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  4. You are finding such treasures as you sort through your mom's belongings. Your heart must be full as you come across notes like this. What a blessing!

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    1. It is indeed a blessing, Vicki. I'm finding many interesting items that remind me what giving people both of my parents were. Back in the early 1960s there was an older man, without family, who worked for my dad. In a closet I found a box of documents which included documentation that my dad had paid for his funeral when he passed away.

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  5. Win Win - love maple, love fudge. How lovely that you have the notes from recipients - would be great to put in an album.

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    1. That's a good idea, Pamela. I should add the scans to my Christmas album.

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