Fifties Fudge

Vintage Recipe:

Fudge

(Made from packaged pudding powder)

1 pkg. cook-and-serve pudding powder, any flavour preferred (Do not use instant pudding!)

1 cup sugar

⅓ cup milk

2 tbsp. butter

Combine pudding package, sugar, and milk. Boil slowly until it forms a soft ball in cold water. Remove from heat and add 2 tbsp. of butter. Beat till thick. Pour on buttered pan and score in to squares.

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Mrs. T.H. Jackman’s Fudge

I remember as a kid, Valentines Day was filled with construction paper crafts, mailboxes for cards from class, and candy, lots and lots of candy! So this week’s recipe is all about eating sweets and making a gift for your Valentine… or yourself! This easy fudge recipe is great for the amateur candy maker (Hi, that’s me!), it is quick to make and only calls for 3 ingredients.

This simple recipe uses a cook-and-serve pudding package, a nice nod to 50’s cooking, and takes the usual stress of fudge making away. We used butterscotch here, but choose whatever flavour is your favourite!

When you combine the ingredients and start the boiling process remember to go LOW and SLOW. It took about 15 minutes to boil the mixture to the right temperature and consistency. When adding the butter at the end, remember to mix vigorously…but don’t lose your spoon in the pot like we did! We recommend using a standard loaf pan lined with parchment paper for easy portioning and removal.

Mrs. T.H. Jackman, who provided this recipe in the Farm Women’s Union of Alberta cookbook, first settled with her family in the Ardrossan area in 1902. The family were integral to the formation of both the United Farmers of Alberta (UFA) and United Farm Woman of Alberta (UFWA). Mrs. Jackman and her family have made multiple contributions to the community of Strathcona County for generations.

We can see why Mrs. Jackman shared her fudge recipe with the UFWA - a quick indulgent treat for the family. Making a smooth fudge takes practice, and we would be lying if we said our first batches turned out well. But once we got it right it was an excellent treat, especially to share with your Valentine.

We would serve this on Our Vintage Table…if made correctly, haha!

- Lauren