European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 27, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                1 a it x kit a How to make fabulous fudge by Joan Drake los Angeles times no matter what the flavor a chocolate Vanilla or Peanut butter a top Quality fudge should feel As smooth As velvet on your Tongue and provide a few minutes of pure creamy Bliss As it melts in your Mouth. Two pieces of equipment Are necessary to successfully make a homemade Batch of this Candy a pan that heats evenly and a Candy thermometer to ensure accurate temperature control the pan must also be Large enough to allow the Candy to boil vigorously without spilling Over. It s no old wives tale that weather plays a role m fudge making. If humidity is High the Candy will absorb moisture and end up being too soft you con compensate Lor this however by cooking the mixture to about one degree higher than called for in the recipe another important tip never double a recipe do so and you re courting disaster All Candy Breaks Down into two types crystalline and amorphous. Fudge is a crystalline Candy meaning the finished product is soft enough to be easily bitten into or Cut with a knife. Amorphous candies Are very hard to extremely chewy the ingredients for fudge Are combined and cooked to 234 degrees cooled to 110 degrees without stirring then beaten until creamy Candy that in t cooked Long enough will end up too soft overcooking makes fudge crumbly or hard High Quality fudge has Many Small crystals. If the process of crystallization begins too Early fewer crystals form and they become much larger. You can control the process by carefully following the directions for this fudge recipe. Basic chocolate fudge butter 2 cups sugar a cup unsweetened Cocoa powder 1 cup whipping Cream 2 Tablespoons Light Corn syrup 2 Tablespoons butter 1 Teaspoon Vanilla a cup coarsely chopped walnuts begin by buttering the sides of a Saucepan then Combine the sugar Cocoa whipping Cream and Corn syrup in the pan. Dutch process Cocoa is recommended for this recipe however any unsweetened Cocoa powder May be used. Bring this mixture to a boil stirring carefully to avoid splattering the sides of the pan As much As possible. To be certain the sugar dissolves completely place a cover on the pan for two to three minutes after the mixture begins to boil. This creates steam inside the pan and washes Down any sugar crystals on the sides. Once the lid is removed you should t be Able to feel any sugar crystals when you rub a wooden spoon against the Side of the Saucepan. After removing the lid clip a Candy thermometer to the Side of the pan. Cook the mixture Over medium Low heat without stirring until the thermometer registers 234 degrees about 20 to 25 minutes. The mixture should boil at a moderate steady rate Over the entire surface while the fudge is cooking prepare the baking pan. Do this before beginning to beat the fudge otherwise the Candy May Harden in the Saucepan to line the pan tear off two pieces of foil about 18 inches in length fold each Sheet to about eight inches in Width so it fits neatly into the Bottom of the pan press the sheets into the pan in opposite directions allowing the foil to extend Over the sides of the pan. Once in place butter the foil a when the Candy mixture reaches the proper temperature remove the pan from the heat leave the thermometer in place and allow the mixture to Cool without stirring. It will take about an hour for the Lemix nature to drop to the desired 110 degrees when you first begin to cat the fudge it will be thin and very Glossy As you beat vigorously it will begin to thicken Uso a wooden spoon because Wood is a poor conductor of heat and the handle will stay comfortably Cool while you re working with me to Candy. Remember that boating does no to Harden the fudge this occurs during Cooling beating begins the process of crystallization. If this occurs throughout the mature at the same time the desirable Small in Stais will form. One of the most difficult Steps in making fudge is knowing when to Stop beating. Once the Candy becomes thick and almost holds its shape when dropped from the spoon it s time to quickly stir in the nuts Ana push the mixture into the prepared pan do not scrape the pan too thoroughly the remaining Candy should be enjoyed separately because it is Likely to make the Batch Grainy. Smooth the Candy into an even layer with buttered fingertips. Then while the fudge is still warm use a Sharp knife to score it into pieces. After the fudge has set until firm use the foil to lift it out of the pan. Peel off the foil place the Candy on a cutting Board and use a Long thin bladed knife to Cut along the score lines. Its easy to overheat fudge especially when you first begin making this Candy. Salvage it by scraping the mixture out of the Saucepan and kneading it with your fingers until it s pliable enough to shape into fogs that can be sliced into rounds or rolled into bite size balls if the opposite happens a the fudge does t Harden a place it Back in a clean Saucepan with a Quarter cup of milk or whipping Cream and Cook stirring constantly until it reaches 236 degrees. Cool As already described and beat again. Grainy fudge May also be precooked with two Tablespoons of whipping Cream Over very Low heat. Break up the fudge As you stir until the Candy is warm and slightly softened. Remove from the heat and beat again. Some Cooks even prefer kneaded or twice cooked fudge. Put sugar Cocoa powder whipping Cream and syrup into a buttered Saucepan. Stir the mixture until it comes to a boil then cover the pan for two or three minutes. I amp of Elev uncover the the pan and clip a Candy thermometer to the Side. Cook until 234 degrees. Cool to 110 degrees beat with a spoon until it thickens then smooth into foil lined pan while it is still warm score the fudge into pieces with a knife. What makes Popcorn pop and other facts about adult s favorite snack by Linda Giuca the Hartford courant chances Arl thai most americans have popped it buttered it munched it thrown it and at one time or another eaten too much of it. Popcorn is adults first Choice at snack time a Survey on american eating habits conducted recently for Parade Magazine found. We think enough of Popcorn to eat about 800,000 pounds of it a year a mostly at Home but also a the movies sports Arenas and the circus and rate it third on the list of the top 50 snacks bought in vending machines it is the Only non chocolate item among the top 10 on that vending machine list a fact that could change. At last july s fancy food show in new York a Mammoth showcase of specially food products one producer came up with a winning combination Popcorn coated with dark of milk chocolate next time you pull out the an poppy or let the microwave do the work consider these bits of trivia from the Popcorn Institute about this popular snack a the English colonists were introduced to Popcorn at the first thanksgiving least in Plymouth. Mas when Quad Quma brother of the wampanoag chief Massasoit brought a Deerskin bag of popped Corn to the Celebration As a gift. A the first Quot puffed Quot breakfast Cereal was probably Popcorn served with sugar and Cream by colonial Cooks. A in southwestern Utah a 1.000-Yeai-old popped Kernel of Popcorn was found in a dry Cave inhabited by predecessor of the Pueblo indians a the oldest ears of Popcorn were found by archaeologists in the Bat Cave in West Central new Mexico. Radiocarbon tests dated it As about 5,600 years old a Orville Redenbacher introduced his gourmet Popcorn in 1965 and was inducted into the Popcorn Institute Hall of Fame in 1988 a supermarket shoppers Are More familiar with the Brand name Jolly time than the Popcorn s producer american pop Corn co of Sioux City Iowa the company however has switched to Popcorn grown without chemical pesticides for its top of the Lirie Jolly time Brand America s Best the Popcorn in e ther White or yellow varieties s available in supermarkets or by mail order $12.95 for a four pack of 30 ounce Jar a from american Pup com co. In o Box i 78. Sioux City. Iowa 5 1 102 a the newest wird on microwave Popcorn after All How Many variations on the Quot Lite Quot idea can companies dream up ? is coloured microwave Corn pop secret a deftly Crocker product distributed by general Mills the really introduced its pop quiz Popcorn 1 he Box. Containing four bags of microwavable kernels guarantees that each bag contains a different color of Popcorn Glenn red Blue yellow purple or Orange the intent Isnit quite Clear and the lather murky shades of artificially coloured Corn Are nol particularly appealing will the sigh no red Popcorn confuse a 30th Century archaeologist digging or clues in the Moos ? a a food High ill Nar Bohr 11, limit per n i relatively Low Iri calories until ils i French led with Hilt or or Eliee Ern a i i in. It Lam nipped or 11 met or isto n u a 30 calorie add a Light drizzling of Oil or mailed pm i Lor and tie Calm in count n Mips to about 125 a popped com has two Basic shape Snowflake which pops big and is shaped like a cumulus Cloud and mushroom Whir h pops into a round Ball a what makes Popcorn pop ? Waler is part of a Popcorn Kernel s composition the water heats when the Kernel is healed and builds up pressure within the Shell when him outer surface gives Way. Hie water expands and the Popcorn explodes to soft starch pops Oul the Kernel i urns inside out the steam is released and the Corn pops a because moisture is essential to popping storing kernels properly is important store Popcorn in an airtight Container in a Cool cupboard i urge the refrigerator unless you Ike chewing or a popped kernels an inside a Nefri Geislor contains Little moisture and the Popcorn wll dry out a microwaves arid air Poppers aside How do you pop Popcorn ? warm the Popper or heavy pan add Oil about a cup is enough a to the pan and heat it i tie beat temperature1 Tor the Oil is Between 400 degrees and 460 degrees ii the nil starts to smoke it is ton hot lest the Oil by dropping a few kernels into the pan if the kernels pop or spin add Hie remaining Popcorn a to make Popcorn  mix Combine 8 ounces of raisins 6 ounce diced dried fruits and 2 quarts of Popcorn Page 14 the stars and stripes Friday March 27, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 15