Mashed Potato Fudge

Those of you who have been reading this from the beginning, know that candymaking and I do not get along. There was that incident with the melted thermometer... But - I have many great cookbooks on the subject that I love to read. This picture is from a 1981 cookbook: The Complete Wilton Book of Candy. The picture is of Confectionary Coating Magic. It has several pages of instructions of how to take discs of candy, and melt and mold them into the candies pictured here. Even the basket is made. Don't worry - I'm not going to try this - yet. Am I the only one who thinks the pink bunny is a little weird, too?

I have decided to learn how to do fondant this year, though, since I was less than thrilled with the souffles of my New Year's resolution.

I'm including a recipe from here that I haven't tried, just because it's weird and fun, criteria for this blog:
Old-Fashioned Mashed Potato Fudge.

Use prepared instant or regular mashed potato. (It gives instructions for using leftovers but really - gross.)

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup prepared mashed potato

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (oh boy)

Line a 9" x 5" loaf pan with foil and lightly butter the foil. Coarsely chop the chocolate.

1. Heat water to a low simmer in bottom pan of a one-quart double boiler. Put chopped chocolate and butter in top pan of boiler, place over lower pan and melt, stirring constantly. Remove top pan.

2. Stir in potato and vanilla. Add confectioners' sugar gradually. When mixture becomes difficult to stir, turn out on surface and knead in more sugar with your hands. Use enough sugar to form a pliable mass. (or is it a pliable mess?) Press into prepared pan, cool until stiff, peel off foil and cut in1' squares. Fudge may be refrigerated, uncut and closely wrapped in foil or plastic wrap for up to two weeks - or freeze for up to six months. Yield: about 45 pieces.

Yes, I read about 7 mysteries last week and I did make the deadline. One night I was up late reading What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles. It involves a girl bured alive underground in a box. Of course I couldn't sleep after that!

I finished Fluke's Key Lime Pie murder yesterday. This series is about Hannah Swenson, a Cookie bakery owner in Minnesota who solves murders. The recipes included in this series are fabulous, even if the situations stretch belief a little. The characters are very lovable also.

Its warm here, but that won't stop me from baking this week!