Key Lime Pie Fudge. Oh Yeah.

Key Lime Pie Fudge
adapted from Technicolor Kitchen

Graham Cracker Crust
Note: The crust is optional. The fudge will still taste great without it.

1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers

Fudge
3 cups or 4 4-oz bars of good quality white chocolate, finely chopped (
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon finely grated Key lime zest, about 5-6 Key limes*
3 tablespoons lime juice – freshly squeezed is better

Line a square 8″x8 baking pan with foil or parchment paper, extending it up and over pan (this helps you get it out of the pan later). Butter sides and bottom of the pan, especially the corners. Set aside.

If you’re making the crust: Preheat oven to 375. In a medium sized bowl, melt butter in them microwave. Stir in sugar with a fork, braking up any lumps. Add crushed graham crackers and toss to mix well. Spread evenly into the baking pan and bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until edge is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Stir white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in a large heavy saucepan over low heat just until chocolate is melted and all the lumps are gone. Remove from heat and stir in zest and juice. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Cover and chill for two hours or overnight. Lift the fudge from pan using edges of foil. Peel off foil and use a heavy non-serrated knife to cut the fudge into one-inch pieces. (Tip: Keep a damp kitchen towel handy to clean off the knife after each cut. This will keep give your fudge a cleaner appearance.)

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

* Zesting the limes – Be sure to wash the limes in hot, soapy water before zesting them. I like to scrub mine with a wet terry cloth towel to get all the wax off. Be sure they are totally dry before zesting. Also, Key limes are really small and their zest is thin. Go very slowly when zesting each lime as you’ll be at the pith (white part) after just one or two passes. I highly recommend using a Microplane Grater/Zester which makes short work of the task.

Yield: 64 1-inch squares, although it really depends on how you cut it.
Would I Make This Again? Without a doubt! This was the most popular recipe I’ve brought into work in a long, long time. A real crowd pleaser!

 

FYI Pumpkins

Q: How do I clean and cook a pumpkin?

A:  Here are tips on how to clean a pumpkin for cooking—plus five delicious pumpkin recipes!

• First, scrub the outside of the pumpkin with a vegetable brush.
• Cut the pumpkin in half and use a spoon to scrape out the fibers and the seeds. A serrated grapefruit spoon works great for this.
• Cut the pumpkin halves into smaller pieces, then place them skin side up in a shallow baking dish.
• Add water to just cover the bottom of the dish, and cover tightly.
• Bake in a 325ºF oven until the pumpkin is fork tender. The time will vary depending on the size of your pieces.
• Let it cool, and then either cut off the peel or scoop out the flesh.

TIP: For pumpkins that you’re not cooking right away, keep them cool but not quite as cool as root crops. If you have a coolish bedroom, stashing them under the bed works well. They like a temperature of about 50 to 65ºF.

TIP: Eating pumpkin pie may encourage sleepiness.

Pumpkin Spice Mix Recipe

Mix the following in a jar:

• 1/3 cup ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg or mace
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice.

For pumpkin pie, add 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of spice mix to your other ingredients.

TIP: Sprinkle a teaspoon of pumpkin spice mix into your carved pumpkin before lighting the candle.

 

 

 

Caramel Filled Apples

Found on SharonEileen’s blog (Happiness Is…)

One of my absolute favorites things about Fall? Caramel apples. But what might be even better? Caramel apples flipped inside out. It’s such a simple idea, I’m ashamed I never thought of it myself. Just cut off the top, scoop out the core, fill the apple with pre-melted caramel, and you have individual dipping cups that you can eat.