Tis the Season for Fudge!

If you know Kathleen, you probably have tasted her fudge. To say that she makes good fudge is like saying Will Shakespeare wrote some stuff. People who do not even like fudge like Kathleen’s fudge, (My Dad). People have been known to call the house, late at night, begging for more. When I say Kat sells it like crack I am not joking, she gives the first sample free and then she has you hooked. She had two ladies from church buying more every Wednesday and Sunday from Halloween to New Years last year. They may have single handedly paid for our Christmas party.

I thought I would share with you how this all began. The first year we were married we were poor college students, and Kat remembered that her Dad had made fudge to give as gifts and asked him for the recipe. The recipe makes 5 pounds of fudge per batch. It is rumored to be the secret recipe of one of the big chocolate candy companies, but I don’t know if that is true. When we looked at the ingredients for their fudge, they have things in there that this recipe does not. Plus, Kat has made changes over the years to get better results.

The first year, and for many years after that, every time Kat made the fudge there was that “Oh Daddy” moment where the first batch of the year wasn’t doing what it was supposed to do and she would have to call her dad for instructions. The very first year after they moved to Oklahoma, we jumped in the car with the mixing bowl and drove over there to show him what the problem was. Nolen always has the answer, (usually it is keep stirring).

Somehow something that she made and gave away when we had no money became something people start asking about in October and nice little side business for the holidays. At last count she has at least 20 varieties of fudge she can make (the milk chocolate one is on request only because our family thinks it is too sweet). She named the fudge “Granfa Owin’s Fudge”, to honor her dad, and sort of as a joke because when her folks moved here for a short season Paul called his grandparents granfa owin and granfa esa. (Although he spoke much clearer than that would indicate and had called them Father and Gramma for years before that).

The lables used to have a clip art image of a funny old man in baker's garb. Last year Kat had Matthew hand-write Granfa Owin’s fudge and used that to print the labels. I LOVE the new lable's and Matthew is proud of his contribution. Paul helped come up with the name candy cane fudge for the peppermint fudge. Matthew also has what he calls “Matthew’s special batch”. When Kat makes fudge if there is a small amount left over that will not fill a container she just adds it to a container that has the leftovers of previous batches, so that what Matthew gets is a layered batch of several flavors. He swears it is the best flavor of all because he knows Mama makes it just for him.

This year I was in Denver when Kat made her first batch. Both boys reported to me on the phone about it. Matthew said very excitedly “it is FUDGE season!” and Paul reported “Mama has opened her fudge store in the kitchen, must be close to the holidays!”

Kat has mentioned that some day she would not mind opening a small candy store to sell her fudge and other candy. When we drive around town the boys often point out small buildings they think would make great candy stores. Paul favors a store that used to be something else but we could paint funky colors, “like a gas station or barber shop”. Matthew says 2 colors is enough, like brown and pink but that is all, he says “better to not go all crazy like Paul”. Matthew has also said if Mama would teach him and Paul the recipe they could open stores other places, and we could all get rich that way. I am not sure if that is true, but for sure part of their holiday tradition is the fudge.

Not long ago they were asking Kat if she would ever give the recipe to some future girlfriend or wife that they possibly might have one day a long way away. Kat jokingly said no, she would not, that it was only for blood family. Matthew explained to Paul,”that way no one is trying to date us just for the secret recipe.” In case you have not seen our invitation for our Christmas party this year, it promises the secret Granfa Owin’s fudge recipe. When Paul read that his eyes got huge, “PAPA, NO!! DON’T DO IT!” The joke is that the recipe I offered up is a strongly censored one that leaves most ingredients and most of the steps out. I do know how to keep a secret.