Everything proceeded normally at first. My father, brother, and I walked in and out of the kitchen stopping to help my mother throughout the process, who typically took the most responsibility for the outcome of the fudge. We added all the necessary ingredients to our saucepan. We stirred constantly. We waited until the thermometer read exactly 234degF before we took the saucepan off the stove. We added the chocolate chips and nuts. Then, we poured the fudge into a baking dish to cool.
If you are anything like the members of my family, you do not have enough self control to simply pour the fudge into the baking dish and wait 2 hours for it to cool; you have to eat a spoonful immediately. My mother, father, brother, and I each scooped out a spoonful of fudge and devoured it. It tasted just as glorious as it always did: smooth, creamy, and rich. Shortly after consuming the pure chocolate heaven, we separated throughout the house, leaving my mom to clean up the mess (sorry, mom).
A few minutes later, I hear my mother start bawling. She had been completely silent until the point when she burst into tears. There was no crash that could have caused her pain. What could possibly have happened? I ran into the kitchen see what was wrong. I saw her standing next to the sink holding the thermometer straight up in her hand. About halfway down the thermometer, I could see a location where the glass had shattered. "Did you cut yourself with the glass from the thermometer?" I asked.
My mom shook her head, and after a few more questions, I was able to gather that she had broken the thermometer sometime during the transfer from the stove to the baking dish. I was also able to gather that thermometers were filled with Mercury and that Mercury was poisonous. I looked around. There was no sign of the liquid inside the thermometer anywhere on the saucepan or counter; it had to be in the fudge my entire family had eaten.
By this time, my brother had entered the room as well. We looked at each other. Had we just been poisoned? Were we going to start vomiting? Or were the symptoms more severe? I'd never seen my mom cry so forcefully, except when somebody had died. She felt responsible for breaking thermometer and poisoning us all, even though all of us were probably in the room when it broke. I think I remember this story so well because part of me was wondering if we were all going to die. Although, I felt quite normal. Did the poison take a while to take affect?
At last, my dad wandered in from outside and heard my mom's cries, which had only worsened over time. All she could say was "It broke...in the...fudge" as she held up the thermometer to him. His expression dropped and he took the thermometer from her for closer inspection. After a few long seconds, he stated that new thermometers didn't have Mercury in them anymore because it was too dangerous, and we had a new thermometer. He continued to say that we still shouldn't eat the fudge because it probably has glass fragments in it. Hooray! We weren't all going to die!
Even though we were all fine, I don't think my mom found joy in making fudge after this event. We certainly didn't make fudge as regularly over the next few years.
When I was in college around New Years, I really wanted some homemade fudge since I hadn't eaten any for a couple years. I had most of the ingredients on hand, and I didn't want to buy a thermometer after the near-death experience from my childhood. Besides, thermometers sounded expensive, and I was broke. After some searching, I learned that you can ensure the sugars in fudge are at approximately the correct temperature just by timing how long they have been boiling, as opposed to using a thermometer. Miraculously, using a timer worked! The fudge was smooth and creamy, and the process felt stress-free without the thermometer. I've continued to make the fudge every year around the holidays, and this recipe has worked fantastically every time in every apartment that I've rented in Colorado and Florida. I'd like to share my aptly named "5-minute" fudge recipe for those of you who are too cheap to buy a thermometer, think they are too much of a hassle, or despise using thermometers after a close call.
Ingredients
- 1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
- 1-1/2 cups white sugar
- 2/3 cup evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions
**Note: Fudge is quite temperamental. You need to follow the instructions closely to achieve the desired results. I recommend reading through the instructions once before starting so that you don't encounter any surprises along the way.**1. Line 8x8 inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Set aside.
2. Over medium heat, combine marshmallow creme, sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt in a saucepan.
3. Bring to a full boil (bubbles should be constantly bursting on the surface). Continue cooking for 5 minutes exactly, stirring continuously.
**Note: You must stir continuously to prevent the sugar at the bottom of the saucepan from burning. The mixture will gradually turn from white to off-white as the sugars caramelize.**
**Note: If you stir the sugar mixture as it is cooling down, the fudge will be grainy.**
5. When the bubbles disappear, immediately stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
7. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
I've made this recipe for my mom a few times, and she is always impressed that I didn't use a thermometer because it tastes exactly the same as the fudge we used to make as a family. I hope you enjoy fudge, which is sure to be Mercury-free!
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