Oh, fudge! When things don’t turn out the way you hoped
Published 11:00 am Sunday, December 24, 2023
- PHOTO BY BRAD CAMPBELLHomemade fudge
Just the other day I picked up the necessary ingredients, got busy in the kitchen, and worked diligently to stir up a batch of old-fashioned homemade fudge. I measured everything precisely.I followed the directions to the letter.I stirred constantly. I did everything I was supposed to do.
It wasn’t long before the wonderful aroma of the thick hot chocolate mixture filled the house. It smelled great. I finished the product, poured it into the prepared pan, and waited.And waited.And waited.And waited some more.I finally gave up on seeing the gooey stuff set up, I covered it, and put it in the fridge for the night.
The next morning I retrieved the pan full of the prettiest looking fudge you’ve ever seen.I tried cutting it, and it just oozed back together. It never set up. So much for taking it to a family gathering that day.I began texting my sister asking for her opinion and helpful hints.First of all, this was not my first fudge rodeo. However, the results had always been the same.Beautiful to look at.Wonderful to smell.But never set up like it should.
My sister’s kind suggestion was to just pour it in a jar, call it “spoon fudge,” and pretend I meant for it to be like that!So I took her advice, and the jar you see here is the result.
This year is very quickly coming to an end (or may have already, depending on when you see this). The brand new year of 2024 is appearing with all of its possibilities and promises of a grander tomorrow. So my point to this rambling is simply this —
Maybe 2023 didn’t turn out like you meant for it to.Maybe you believe you did everything just right.You followed His direction, you did everything you could to make sure all was right. And yet, it still didn’t set right.Maybe the year looked beautiful, but you feel fooled by how it turned out.My advice to you is to just pour it in a jar, call it something else delicious, and pretend you meant for it to be that way.
The nice thing about my “failed” fudge is that it tastes absolutely delicious!A spoonful of the delectable treat will make you want for more.It’s all in your perspective.I could have dumped the “mistake” and started over or even given up completely.Instead, I came up with a wonderful result, even if it was unintentional.
Maybe 2023 hasn’t come together like you hoped.Aw, fudge!Maybe, just maybe you need to take a different look at it, grab yourself a spoon, and just enjoy the fruits (or fudge) of your labors! You may find that it has turned out so much better than it could have!
FAQs
“Oh, fudge!” Is another way of saying “oh, f*ck!”. In this case, “fudge” is used as a respective way to say so.
What to do with failed fudge? ›
Options for what you can do with your unset fudge:
OPTION 1) Depending on how runny it is, you can either use it as a frosting for cakes, or a sauce for ice-cream. OPTION 2) Freeze it overnight. Cut it into squares. Cover each square thickly in melted chocolate, ensuring no part of the fudge is exposed.
What is fudge slang for? ›
When fudge is a verb, it means to avoid straightforwardly answering a question or addressing a subject: "Just answer my question and don't fudge the issue!" Fudge is an American word from college slang meaning "a made-up story."
What is fudge a euphemism for? ›
often used interjectionally to express annoyance, disappointment, or disbelief. 2. : a soft creamy candy made typically of sugar, milk, butter, and flavoring. 3. : something that is fudged.
Why didn't my fudge turn out? ›
Fudge Didn't Set
If your fudge turned out super sticky, or it didn't set as it cooled, it probably never got hot enough. This mistake is super easy to avoid if you use a candy thermometer and cook the fudge to the temperature specified in the recipe (usually between 234 and 239°F).
What happens if you don't stir fudge? ›
By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals. Stirring would help sucrose molecules "find" one another and start forming crystals. Stirring also introduces air, dust, and small dried bits from the walls of the saucepan—all potential seeds for crystal formation.
Was fudge made by mistake? ›
That appetite for fudge dates back more than a century. Food historian Joyce White says fudge is based on a recipe for chocolate caramels, which was very similar. "What probably happened is that there was someone in Baltimore, messed it up, or 'fadged' it," she said. "Fadge is a word that means you messed up.
What the heck is fudge? ›
Fudge is a type of confection that is made by mixing sugar, butter and milk. It has its origins in the 19th century United States, and was popular in the women's colleges of the time.
Who said oh fudge? ›
Ralphie : Ohhhh fuuudge! Ralphie as an Adult : [narrating] Only I didn't say "Fudge." I said THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the "F-dash-dash-dash" word!
What does the slang term pack fudge mean? ›
(idiomatic, slang) To perform anal sex.
The traditional story of the origin of the interjection fudge "lies! nonsense!" ( 1766; see fudge (n.2)) traces it to a sailor's retort to anything considered lies or nonsense, from Captain Fudge, "who always brought home his owners a good cargo of lies" [Isaac Disraeli, 1791, citing a pamphlet from 1700].
