I have been hiding under a rock for the last few days to avoid the pre-election barrage of ads, political Facebook posts, etc. Fortunately, my rock is made of fudge, so I’ve been very well-fed (or well-sugared, anyway) for the last few days.
I have remade my lavender-lemon-vanilla fudge and coconut fudges, as the previous batches came out too soft. I realized that since water content dictates the softness of fudge, I needed to get more water out of it to get the ideal texture. This meant boiling it to higher temperatures. I had been boiling to 236 degrees Fahrenheit – too soft. I tried one batch at 245 – too firm, too brittle. But 240 to 242 degrees seemed Just Right.
I also made a second batch of coconut tequila lime fudge, mainly because there wasn’t enough of the first batch to go around. I am now completely done with fudges and will be moving on to caramels and toffee today. I’m hoping to get a batch of toffee done this morning, before I leave for work, and a batch of caramels done in the evening. I may sneak home at lunchtime and begin prepping the candied citrus peels for dipping, though I might leave those for the weekend, as I’d have to dip them immediately. I’ll have to think about it.
Several people asked how to get a box of chocolates. It’s too late for this year, as my production is already committed, but every year I do a “Chocolates for Charity” drive wherein those who donate more than a given amount ($85 this year) to my chosen charity (this year, a friend’s Breast Cancer walk) get a box of chocolates. Doing good in a tax-deductible and thoroughly tasty way! I’ll announce the drive next year. The offer is limited to the first twenty “takers”, as I can only produce so many chocolates.
I am now significantly behind on my production schedule, but not especially worried yet; I have a good chunk of time on Saturday and Sunday to play catch-up. And I’ll have more help than usual during Chocopalooza.
And, I’ve written three more posts for the book blog, and mapped out six more. That’s three weeks’ worth of blog posts, and will be enough to get me through the end of Thanksgiving. I still have more writing to do, and more examples to create – but at least I know what I’m writing, so this should go quickly.
That’s it for now! Tonight or tomorrow, I hope to have pictures of caramel and toffee to share.
